The mineral selenium, found in foods such as nuts, meats and enriched grain products, helps protect the body's cells from free radical damage. Without enough selenium in the diet, your immune system weakens, heart problems may develop and thyroid function decreases, according to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements. Selenium supplements may benefit people with thyroid problems; however, as with any dietary supplement, you should check with your physician before taking them.
Pregnancy-Related Thyroid Problems
The hormone changes that occur during pregnancy can affect a woman's thyroid function and increase the size of the thyroid gland by 10 to 15 percent, the American Thyroid Association reports. Both hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, and hypothyroidism, low thyroid function, can occur during pregnancy. In a review published in the July 2010 issue of the "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews," Sally M. Reid and colleagues from the University of Adelaide, Australia, examined previously published research on thyroid treatments for pregnant women. A small trial that included 169 pregnant women indicated that selenium supplements may improve thyroid problems in pregnant women, particularly those with postpartum thyroid inflammation. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the recommended daily allowance for pregnant women is 60 micrograms of selenium. If you're pregnant, you should discuss taking any more than the recommended amount of selenium with your physician.
Thyroid Cancer
Selenium supplements decrease the growth of thyroid cancer cells, according to David J. Finley, M.D., and researchers from New York City's Weill Cornell Medical College, who presented at the 2004 meeting of the American Thyroid Association. Selenium inhibited the growth of three types of thyroid cancer cells in lab tests. The researchers believe that this mineral stimulates certain genes that regulate cell growth and division, thereby stopping cancer cell growth.
Goiter
Goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland in the neck, often results from an iodine deficiency or an increase in a hormone called thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH. However, selenium deficiency can also cause goiter, according to research published in the summer 2009 issue of the journal "Biological Trace Element Research." One third of the 2,331 Iranian children studied had goiter, despite widespread iodine supplementation. According to study author Ammar H. Keshteli, selenium deficiency was a major cause of goiter in these children. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, taking selenium supplements may help protect against goiter.
References
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Selenium
- American Thyroid Association: Thyroid Disease and Pregnancy
- Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; Interventions for Clinical and Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Pregnancy; Reid SM et al.; July 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Selenium
- American Thyroid Association: Dietary Supplement May Be Future Treatment for Thyroid Cancer
