Selenium

Selenium and iodine

Taking iodine usually allows our body to carry out processes that it previously was not able to. As these ‘new’ processes start happening(again), our body is going to require other nutrients to handle byproducts of these new processes as well as toxins that might be knocked loose. 

Selenium plays an important part in a handful of metabolic processes and takes on several forms depending which form we consume as well as our levels of various other nutrients. Selenocysteine is decomposed by an enzyme that requires vitamin B6. 

Selenium is an important part of vitamin E recycling. If vitamin E is low, selenium has to step up to save our cells from oxidation.

Some glutathione production depends on selenium.

Selenium is part of reducing hydrogen peroxide into water, protecting us from free radical generation. 

The activation of thyroid hormone depends on selenium.

Selenium interacts with much, much more.

So which forms do we supplement

Some people have a sensitivity to foods and supplements that contain yeast. Some forms of selenium are made via yeast. ⁴ Please research further if avoiding yeast sounds important to you.

Food sources of selenium

Food based selenium from INNATE Response

Selenomethionine from Thorne Research

My research and a lot of people’s opinion claim this is the best form of selenium we can supplement with. Most of the time it is not made with yeast, and if it is produced with yeast, it will most likely say “from Selenium-Enriched Yeast”. 

The ‘methionine’ part of this form can help most of us get this nutrient through our methylation system, which can be very helpful by itself.

Here is a link to Thorne’s 200mcg x 60 capsules(12,000mcg total) for $10  https://amzn.to/3b1fYDJ

Trace Minerals Complex II

This is a blend of common nutrients used in the processes selenium may allow our body to start carrying out. If we are not getting the extra nutrients of this blend in a multi or protein shake, this complex could be very beneficial vs a solo selenium supplement. 

Here is a link to Seeking Health’s Trace Minerals Complex II which contains 200mcg yeast based selenium x 30 capsules(6,000 total) for $15 which also includes various other important nutrients https://bit.ly/2XyPLI1

Serious detox support

Our main goal with any nutrient is to support our metabolism so our body can tackle whatever is currently most important, which includes detoxing. One of the most important nutrients our body is trying to create, is glutathione. By supplementing glutathione, we can give our body an extra boost that can be extremely beneficial if our levels are low. By using a liposomal form of glutathione, it can be delivered to damaged cells that otherwise would not be able to get their hands on it. And by using a glutathione with important cofactors, we can avoid a situation where glutathione backfires and we assume this important nutrient is not something our body wants. Without B2, selenium, molybdenum, PQQ and phosphatidylchoine, our body may not be able to utilize glutathione properly and we may assume the glutathione itself is the issue, meanwhile our body is most likely in desperate need of the glutathione and the detox its allowing us to carry out. Glutathione’s dependency on selenium just shows how integrated these nutrients are with each other and how important it can be to have enough of each available to our body.

Here is a link to Seeking Health’s Optimal Liposomal Glutathione Plus which contains 50mcg selenium x 30 servings(1,500mcg total) which may or may not be enough selenium depending how much iodine we are consuming https://bit.ly/30BlM45

Say no to Brazil Nuts

Some people use Brazil Nuts for their potential selenium content. There are several issues with this.

Most soils are depleted today, so its hard to know how much selenium will end up in various brands of Brazil Nuts without investigation and possibly testing. So there is a chance the brand we’re eating doesn’t have much selenium.

Digesting nuts is not easy. First we have to chew the nuts into a powder since our digestive system can only access the outside surface of the pieces we chew. Brazil nuts are over 50% fat, so our ability to digest fat most likely has something to do with our ability to get to and use some of the nutrients.

If exposed to enough heat and light or stored long enough, the fat in the nuts can become rancid.

Due to the Ellagic Acid content of Brazil Nuts, they are more susceptible to the mold Aspergillus flavus which can damage the liver. ^{5 6}

If we can locate fresh mold free Brazil Nuts, and their soil was not depleted, they can be a decent source of: Thiamin, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, Calcium and Selenium. I still don’t think they are worth the risk of aflatoxin though.