Selenium

Is Selenium Good for Eyes?

Eating a well-balanced diet is important to maintaining a normal weight, preventing disease, having good eyes and maintaining overall health. A balanced diet with foods from each of the food groups provides the body with nutrients critical to eye health. Selenium, an often overlooked mineral, is one of the many nutrients involved in preserving eyesight. Consuming selenium-rich foods can help delay the onset of eye-related diseases and improve vision.

All About Selenium

Selenium for the Flu

...ver 60 million people in the United States experience this infection each year, usually in the winter, late fall or early spring. The flu is extremely contagious. Certain dietary supplements, such as selenium, may be benefic...

Must Iodine Be Taken With Selenium?

The need to combine iodine and selenium depends upon why the iodine supplement is needed. If an iodine supplement is necessary to treat an iodine deficiency, taking additional selenium might be helpful. While iodine deficiency ...

Does Selenium Interfere With Coumadin?

...re taking the medication Coumadin, you should first consult with your physician. While a simple over-the-counter vitamin or mineral supplement may seem harmless, it can interact with your medication. Selenium, for example, i...

What Are the Dangers of Selenium in Food?

Your body needs a small amount of selenium each day, but like any mineral or vitamin, you can experience adverse side effects if you consume too much. The selenium in your food comes from plants and animal products, and the hig...

Selenium Benefits for Men

Selenium is a naturally occurring mineral found in the soil and is vital in strengthening the body’s immune system. The mineral does this by combining with different proteins in the body to form antioxidants that enhance ...

Is Selenium a Laxative?

Some commercially manufactured laxatives include selenium as an ingredient, and some selenium-containing foods can have a laxative effect; however, selenium does not typically function as a laxative in the human body. Still, se...

Selenium & Bleeding

Taking Selenium supplements can affect your bleeding and clotting times. Selenium supplements can also have adverse reactions with a variety of medications, including blood thinners. Additionally, Selenium can cause you to blee...

Selenium & Headaches

Your body needs selenium, a trace mineral, to function normally. Many plant foods contain selenium, but the amount of selenium in a plant depends on the amount of selenium in the soil. Headaches, including cluster, migraine and...

Selenium & Goiter

Selenium is a mineral found in meat, nuts and enriched grain products that is essential for good health, although your body only needs small amounts. One of its important functions is to help your thyroid make and regulate iodi...

Selenium and Alzheimers

...1 estimates from the Alzheimer's Association. This neurodegenerative disease causes steady declines in cognitive function, and there is no known cure. Although some evidence suggests that the mineral selenium may prevent Alz...

Selenium and Swollen Lips

Swelling of the lips is a concerning symptom because it mostly occurs when your body is experiencing a severe allergic reaction. Selenium is a mineral naturally ingested in the diet and considered likely safe when you take less...

Selenium and Tear Ducts

...cts connected to the puncta. Blockages commonly occur in the tear ducts, most often in young children and older adults, but otherwise you may not have problems with your tear ducts. Nutrients such as selenium do not have a k...

What Is Selenium Taken For?

Although selenium isn't one of the major minerals, it plays a role in a number of functions in your body, including thyroid function, preventing cell damage and synthesizing antibodies. The body only requires a small amount of ...

Herbs That Provide Selenium

selenium is a nonmetal chemical that is toxic in high doses but necessary in trace amounts for your cells to function. When selenium interacts with proteins in your body, it creates antioxidant enzymes called selenoproteins, wh...

Fruits With Selenium

Selenium is an essential trace mineral that supports the immune system, aids in cell growth and, in conjunction with vitamin E, functions as an antioxidant to protect cells from free radical damage. The recommended dietary allo...

What Foods Are Highest in Selenium?

selenium is a trace mineral, essential for good health, but required in only small amounts. It plays a role in thyroid function and is necessary for proper immune system function. Furthermore, selenium acts as an antioxidant in...

Selenium Toxicities

selenium is an important trace mineral, but ingesting too much of it can lead to a toxicity. However, this is rare in the United States and will most likely be due to excessive intake of selenium supplements, as opposed to eati...

Do Men Need Selenium?

Men need selenium in small amounts for the body to function properly. Not getting enough selenium can harm the body. The Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board recommends 55 mcg of selenium for adult men. Men should c...

How Does Selenium Help the Body?

selenium is an essential trace mineral the human body requires in small amounts. The Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health recommends a daily intake of 55 mcg of selenium for individuals 14 or older...

Selenium & Tinnitus

Complementary and alternative medicine treatments, including vitamin and mineral supplements and herbs, can be used to help treat medical conditions. Selenium is a mineral that helps the body function properly and may be benefi...

Selenium & Hypothroidism

Selenium is sometimes used as a complementary or alternative treatment for Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that causes hypothyroidism. Results of a review published in the April 2002 issue of "The Clinical Journa...

Selenium's Impact on Humans

Selenium is a little nutrient that goes a long way. Although your body only requires a minuscule amount of this essential mineral, you wouldn't be healthy without it. Selenium's chief role in the body is to combat the harmful e...

Allergic Reaction to Selenium

Allergic reactions to selenium are considered rare and need to be diagnosed by an allergist. Common side effects of taking the supplement may trigger symptoms that are similar to allergy symptoms. In order for you to receive a ...

Does Selenium Thin the Blood?

...ryoprecipitate. Various medical conditions or medications may thin blood, and while this is the purpose of certain medications, if your blood becomes too thin you may experience adverse side effects. Selenium is a mineral th...

Selenium & Nausea

At the recommended intake, selenium provides antioxidant protection against illness and infections. Most people get enough of the mineral in their diets to prevent the serious selenium deficiencies linked to heart disease and r...

Selenium Hazards

selenium is a mineral found mostly in plants, with selenium content varying according to soil composition at the place where the plant was grown. Soils in the U.S. are relatively rich in selenium, and selenium deficiency is the...

Important Function of Selenium

selenium is a mineral your body needs in small amounts to make certain enzymes. You can get selenium from some of the foods you eat, and it's also available as a dietary supplement. selenium can become toxic at high levels. Tal...

Major Use of Selenium

selenium is one of several essential trace minerals required for good health. In the U.S., plant foods grown in soils rich in selenium provide enough of the mineral to the general population to ensure a rarity of deficiency. Th...

What Is the Significance of the Element Selenium?

Selenium is a rare earth element that is an essential nutrient for humans and other animals. Selenium supplements are available as a remedy for a variety of ailments. In large enough quantities, though, the substance can be tox...

How Much Selenium to Take in a Day?

selenium is an essential mineral that you need only in small amounts. It plays an anti-oxidant role, which helps to prevent cell damage and may also reduce your risk of developing some chronic diseases. You can get selenium fro...

Selenium Toxicity in Food

selenium is a mineral your body needs in very small amounts in order to maintain optimal health. If you get too much selenium, this can result in a condition known as lending toxicity, also known as selenium poisoning. While se...

Selenium in Food

Selenium is a trace mineral that your body needs in small amounts for good health. It helps make antioxidant enzymes that protect your body from harmful substances. It also prevents cardiovascular disease and certain cancers an...

Selenium and the Pancreas

...ng medical problems, you typically do not give much thought to organs responsible for daily functioning like the pancreas. Taking vitamins and minerals can be beneficial to keep these organs healthy. Selenium is an important...

What Is Selenium Needed For?

Selenium is needed for good health and has many functions in your body. The Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board recommends 55 mcg for people ages 14 and older and 60 mcg for pregnant women. The recommended dietary ...

The Daily Value for Selenium for Labeling

...rients such as carbohydrates and fat are written in grams, while smaller nutrients such as vitamins and minerals are written as percentages. While you may not need a higher education to determine the selenium content in food...

What Are the Dangers of Selenium?

The trace mineral selenium works in concert with vitamin E to destroy free radicals, substances that can trigger several types of diseases. Higher rates of cancer in certain areas with low levels of selenium in the soil have le...

Fruits High in Selenium

You need 55 mcg of Selenium as part of your daily diet to support proper thyroid function. Selenium also plays a role in neutralizing free-radicals that can contribute to chronic health conditions such as cancer and heart disea...

Selenium Dosages for Women

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 healt...

What Is Selenium Important For?

If you smoke or take oral contraceptives, you might have low levels of Selenium, which can affect your thyroid function and put you at a higher risk of developing some types of cancer. Selenium is a trace mineral needed in smal...

Selenium Intake & Hypothyroidism

Your body needs the mineral Selenium in small amounts, making it known as a trace mineral. Selenium supports a healthy immune system and functions as an antioxidant, which means it protects cells from damage caused by negativel...

What Items Contain Selenium?

Selenium is a trace mineral that you require small amounts of on a daily basis for good health. Selenium may help protect you from the damage caused by free radicals, which are dangerous substances that can increase your risk o...

Selenium and Safe Limits

Selenium is a trace mineral that works with vitamin E to rid your body of damaging free radicals. It also keeps your thyroid and immune system working as they should. It is important to meet the recommended daily allowance, or ...

Tinea Versicolor & Selenium

The mineral selenium is effective for treating a chronic fungal skin infection known as tinea versicolor. For this condition, you don't consume the selenium -- you apply it in a topical solution. You'll need a prescription from...

Can Selenium Be Harmful?

Your body relies on a range of nutrients to perform vital tasks, including the trace element selenium. You only need a very small amount of selenium each day to ensure proper bodily functions, and while selenium excesses or def...

Risk of Too Little Selenium

selenium is a trace mineral, which means your body requires it only in small quantities. However, that does not change the fact that selenium is still important for good health. Fortunately, it is not difficult to get sufficien...

Selenium in Clams

...iety of ways. They are used as appetizers, entrees and are popular in pasta sauces. Clams are relatively low in calories, but they are rich in protein and an array of vitamins and minerals, including selenium, which is cruci...

Selenium & Trout

Trout is a rich source of lean protein and other nutrients. Selenium is present in moderate quantities in trout, together with calcium, sodium, magnesium and other minerals. Selenium deficiency is relatively rare in the United ...

Do Humans Need Selenium?

selenium is a mineral necessary for good health, but you only need a small amount to get its benefits. Most Americans get enough selenium from their diets, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Too much selenium is to...

What Is the RDA for Selenium?

The mineral selenium exists in a variety of foods, with the most abundant source coming from plants grown in selenium-rich soils, according to the National Institutes of Health. Deficiencies, though rare in the United States, a...

How the Body Uses Selenium and Fluorine

Both selenium and fluorine are minerals that are found in only trace amounts in your body. Since your body only needs small amounts and they are found in both food sources and drinking water, deficiencies are rare. However, if ...

The Importance of Selenium

A little bit of selenium goes a long way. The body only needs a small amount of this mineral, which is why selenium is known as a trace mineral. High doses of selenium supplements can cause a condition called selenosis, which r...

How Much Selenium Should One Take?

selenium is a trace mineral essential to good health and nutrition. According to Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute, most Americans get more than adequate amounts of selenium from their daily diet. To make sure t...

Recommended Dose of Selenium

Antioxidants are studied widely, and the mineral and antioxidant selenium has been studied in conjunction with vitamin E in the fight against cancer. An antioxidant is a chemical that, when present in the body, attacks toxins k...

Selenium for Hypothyroid

selenium is a trace mineral that the human body requires in small quantities. After digestion, the cells combine selenium and proteins together to form selenoproteins, a powerful antioxidant that prevents the kind of cellular d...

Selenium & Melanoma

selenium is an essential trace mineral that the human body requires in small amounts. The cells incorporate selenium into proteins to form selenoproteins, a powerful antioxidant that prevents the kind of cellular damage that oc...

What Are the Dangers of High Selenium?

The trace mineral selenium helps to produce the antioxidant glutathione and works in concert with vitamin E to shield cell membranes from damage. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports low levels of selenium have bee...

Selenium For Women

selenium is an element found in a variety of food products and is also available in capsule form to supplement a diet deficient in selenium. An adequate amount of selenium is necessary for proper functioning of selenoproteins, ...

Daily Amount of Selenium

You may only need a little bit each day, but selenium is still a very important nutrient. Your body needs it to synthesize proteins into antioxidants, which scavenge harmful free radicals and remove them. You probably get most ...

Selenium & Silica

Selenium and silica are minerals naturally found in the soil and absorbed in all living things, including human beings, through the diet. They are also used in manufacturing items such as computers, glass, paper, paints, foods ...

Precautions for Selenium

Minerals play an important role in your health, and selenium is a trace mineral needed in small amounts. The recommended minimum dietary allowance is 55 mg if you are 19 or older and slightly more if you are pregnant or lactati...

Selenium Toxicity

selenium is an essential mineral, but you need only a small amount of it in your daily diet. Like all minerals, selenium is toxic if you take it in the form of a dietary supplement in excess doses. You can even experience sympt...

Selenium Dangers in Humans

selenium is a mineral that your body needs for replenishment of your antioxidant supply, thyroid hormone production and the formation of certain proteins. Most people get selenium from foods in their diet and have low risks for...

Selenium in Men

Selenium belongs to a group of nutrients called trace minerals, which are inorganic compounds that the body needs in small amounts. Selenium combines with proteins in the body to make compounds called selenoproteins, many of wh...

Selenium and Graves' Disease

...roid disorder may have eye problems associated with thyroid disease. People with this condition, called Graves' disease or Graves' ophthalmopathy, may need to take antioxidant nutrients, particularly selenium, to help mainta...

Selenium & Oysters

Many people enjoy the delicate, briny flavor of oysters. They are quite nutritious, containing high-quality protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B-12 and copper -- they also have quite a bit of selenium, a mineral necessary for good he...

Safe Dosages of Selenium

The mineral Selenium aids in the proper functions of your immune system and thyroid function. Your body does not naturally make Selenium therefore you need to consume small amounts to maintain adequate health. Selenium may also...

Hypothyroidism & Selenium

...of age, according to the National Institutes of Health. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, thinning hair and depression. Nutritional supplementation, including selenium, a mineral your...

Selenium & Glutathione

Selenium, a trace mineral, and glutathione, an antioxidant, play an important role in maintaining a healthy body. Selenium must be consumed in food; however, the body naturally produces glutathione. Both are available in supple...

Selenium & Kelp for Hypothyroidism

...tion of thyroid hormones. There are many symptoms that can arise from hypothyroidism, and some of the most common include an intolerance to cold, fatigue, an inability to concentrate and weight gain. Selenium and kelp may he...

AIDS & Selenium

...that help the body to fight infection. There is no cure for AIDS, but anti-viral medicines help to prevent the HIV virus from reproducing and may help to alleviate symptoms. Some nutrients, including selenium, may also help ...

Arthritis & Selenium

... prescription anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate pain and reduce swelling. Losing excess pounds if you are overweight will also help by taking pressure off your joints. Certain nutrients, including selenium, might also pla...

Selenium in Vitamins

selenium is a trace mineral that is essential for good health. The daily recommended dietary intake of selenium is 55 micrograms for males and females, according to MedlinePlus. Natural sources of selenium include Brazil nuts, ...

What Does Selenium Do in the Body?

Selenium is an essential mineral that helps protect cells against oxidative damage from free radicals. It is necessary for thyroid function and immune system functioning, as well as for overall health. The recommended daily int...

Selenium in Diets

selenium is a trace mineral that is found in food sources. It is one of several trace minerals that are necessary for optimal health and physical function. The human need for selenium is small -- the daily requirement for adult...

Diet and Selenium

selenium is a trace mineral, which means that it is only needed in small amounts in the diet. Proper selenium intake is needed to make certain proteins, and there is some evidence that selenium can help treat or prevent certain...

Lycopene & Selenium

Lycopene and selenium are antioxidants, which help protect your body from substances called free radicals, which can damage your cells and increase your risk of developing chronic diseases. While selenium also is classified as...

Selenium for Seborrheic Dermatitis

...ff. Whatever the name, this dermatitis consists of itchy, flaky skin and yellowish, thickened skin plaques. Treatments range from heightened moisturizing to prescription shampoo products that contain selenium. Any treatment ...

Selenium Deficiency and Hypothyroidism

selenium, considered a trace mineral, is required in the diet in minute amounts measured in micrograms. The average adult requires about 55 mcg of selenium per day, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dieta...

Selenium & Lymphoma

Selenium is an essential trace mineral. It primarily functions in the body as a component of antioxidant enzymes. The American Cancer Society says that large observational studies demonstrate that in areas in which soil seleniu...

Selenium Benefits & Risks

selenium is a trace element, meaning it is required by the body, but only in small amounts, as high levels can be toxic. Foods like crabs, fish, poultry and wheat are rich in selenium. selenium is essential for the production o...

Diet & Selenium

selenium is a trace element that acts as an important dietary mineral. Animals and humans require small amounts of selenium to help maintain proper health. Plants do not require selenium, though they contain the mineral if grow...

What Are the Benefits of Taking Selenium?

Found in meats, tuna and Brazil nuts, the trace mineral selenium provides a multitude of functions in the body, including manufacturing antioxidant enzymes and boosting normal cell growth, according to the Mayo Clinic website. ...

Health Benefits of Selenium

selenium is a mineral in soil, water and plants. According to the MedlinePlus website, selenium is an essential trace mineral. A Natural News article suggests that optimal amounts of selenium in soil may help prevent and treat ...

What Are the Benefits of Having Selenium?

Found naturally in soil and water, selenium is a trace element that is also present naturally in foods such as Brazil nuts, wheat germ, raisins, sunflower seeds and garlic. Common reasons for supplementing selenium in the diet ...

List of the Benefits of Selenium

selenium is a mineral that you body requires small amounts of to function properly. One of its most vital roles is protecting against damage to the body's cells, MedlinePlus reports. You get selenium from the foods you eat. Bec...

What Foods Contain Selenium?

selenium, an essential trace mineral required for normal health and growth, aids in the body's creation of antioxidant enzymes that help prevent cell damage from free radicals. A variety of foods contain selenium, and deficienc...

What Is Selenium Yeast?

Your body needs certain elements in very small amounts. These elements are called "trace elements." selenium is a trace element. Some people do not get enough selenium and wish to take a selenium supplement. selenium yeast is a...

Selenium for Acne

selenium is an essential mineral that your body requires for critical functions. Certain people might be deficient in selenium and could need to take a supplement. Consult your physician before taking a selenium supplement to d...

Selenium & Its Benefits

Selenium, a trace mineral, is required in small amounts for optimal health, according to the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements. The mineral is found in water, soil and some foods, including sal...

Benefits from Selenium

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 2...

What Is Selenium?

selenium is a mineral that your body needs to function properly. It is found in many common foods and is also available in supplement form. Although a selenium deficiency is rare in the United States, people who have one are at...

Benefits of Plant-Based Selenium

selenium is essential for human health as a trace mineral. It occurs in many plant foods, with the amount depending on how much selenium is in the soil where the plants grow. For instance, soil in the high plains region of the ...

Benefits of Selenium

Selenium is a trace mineral found in water, soil and some foods. Deficiency in most of the United States is rare, but it is fairly common in areas where soil content of the mineral is low, according to the National Institutes o...

What Are the Benefits of Selenium Supplements?

selenium is an important mineral that has been extensively studied over the past 20 years. Already recognized as a powerful antioxidant, selenium has been associated with reduced incidence of several types of cancers as well as...

What Are the Benefits of Selenium for Acne?

...occur on the face, neck, chest, back and in some cases, the upper arms. A host of creams, cleansers and ointments are available to treat acne and can be purchased over-the-counter or by prescription. Selenium is a natural re...