Selenium is a nutrient called a trace mineral. Everyone needs selenium in their diet, but only a little bit. The National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements recommends a daily intake of selenium ranging from 20 to 70 mcg, depending on your age and gender. Pregnant women and nursing mothers fall into the upper range of the scale, and require slightly more selenium than other adults. The mineral is found in many plants, but also in nuts, chicken, beef, pasta, rice, eggs and some kinds of cheese. The benefits of getting enough selenium in your diet include having healthier joints, less oxidative stress on your body, and improved thyroid function. Some people may also experience fewer fertility problems due to selenium.
Healthier Joints
The Office of Dietary Supplements reports that some arthritis sufferers test low in selenium levels, and when asked, did not take in as much selenium through diet as others who do not experience joint pain and stiffness. Selenium is an antioxidant, which controls damage from free radicals, which in turn may help control the damage done from arthritis in some people. A July 2000 issue of "Lancet" explains that the mineral is essential to the normal functioning of your immune system as well. Rheumatoid arthritis is an example of a disease in which your immune system malfunctions and attacks your joints. The benefits of a diet rich in selenium may help improve arthritis symptoms.
Less Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress is the term given to damage that your body sustains at the very basic, cellular level. Everyone experiences oxidative stress as a result of toxins that are found in your body: from the foods you eat, nicotine if you smoke, and even environmental pollutants. The fact that selenium is an antioxidant means that your body may be more able to fight off free radicals--the particles causing the oxidative stress--which can result in better overall health. The World's Healthiest Foods suggests that when you take in adequate amounts of selenium, your body may be able to prevent blood vessel damage that can lead to heart disease, and might also protect you from developing cancer.
Thyroid Health
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium deficiency can show itself in part, through hypothyroidism, or a state of under-activity of your thyroid gland. The thyroid is a gland in your neck that produces a hormone and regulates many vital functions of your body. If your thyroid works slower than it should, you could experience a number of symptoms ranging from weight gain, extreme fatigue, constipation, irregular menstruation, and depression. Selenium in your diet keeps your thyroid on track, and manages the amount of thyroid hormone that the gland produces so that all of your body's processes are working smoothly as well.
Reproductive Health
You may reap the benefit of improved reproductive health when you take in the recommended levels of selenium. Research reported in "Lancet" and a 2005 issue of "Biology of Reproduction" explain that selenoproteins are a basic requirement for normal sperm production and motility, a key to normal fertility. The study reported in "Biology of Reproduction" showed that the sperm produced by mice that lacked the selenoproteins had tails that were defective, when compared with the healthy sperm of mice who were given selenoproteins. The "Lancet" article also showed that women who had normal levels of selenium had a decreased risk of miscarriage.
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