Selenium is a trace mineral women need in small amounts. Most multivitamins do not contain it, but your doctor can recommend a supplement if your levels are low. Women who don't get enough selenium are at risk for several health complications, but adequate intakes offer protection. Adding foods that contain selenium to your meal plans is a simple way to ensure you are reaching the daily intake recommendations.
Daily Intake Recommendations
Women over the age of 18 need 55 mcg of selenium each day. Pregnancy increases your selenium needs to 60 mcg per day, and if you are breast-feeding, aim to get 70 mcg daily. Your needs go up while pregnant or nursing because some of the mineral is passed to your baby and supports his health as well as your own.
Function
Selenium plays several roles in a woman's health, but is needed primarily for its part in preventing oxidation within the body. When you ingest selenium, it is incorporated into proteins, creating selenoproteins, which are enzymes with antioxidant properties. Adequate selenium intake allows your body to fight free radicals that damage cells and contribute to a variety of health concerns, including cancer and heart disease. Selenium is also important for a woman's thyroid function and her immune system. A study conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005 found that a high selenium intake among women found a 40 percent reduced chance of osteoarthritis in the knee.
Deficiencies
A deficiency in selenium intake may interfere with a woman's health because it plays such a vital part in immunity. The condition is rare in the United States, but women with absorption problems may have a lower than desired level, which a simple blood test can determine. Not getting enough selenium may contribute to some types of heart disease, hypothyroidism and lowered immunity, reports the Office of Dietary Supplements. It may also interfere with healthy bones.
Food Sources
Increasing your intake of foods that contain selenium is the easiest way to meet your needs. The best source of selenium is Brazil nuts, with 544 mcg per serving. Walnuts are also a healthy source of this mineral. Canned tuna, beef, cod, turkey and chicken breast are meat sources of selenium. Several grains also contain selenium, including white and brown rice, whole wheat and white bread, oatmeal and noodles. Cottage cheese, eggs and cheddar cheese all contain selenium as well.
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