Boost Your thyroid health naturally with selenium

Selenium

Selenium is a trace mineral that plays a big role in supporting antioxidant activities. This means it helps your immune system fight off viral infections and bacteria.

One of its most important functions is in the thyroid gland, where most of the selenium in your body is stored. Selenium helps an enzyme called TPO (thyroid peroxidase) produce thyroid hormones. It also supports another enzyme, 5’deiodinase, which converts the inactive T4 hormone into the active T3 hormone (the one your cells can use). Some studies have shown that for people with Hashimoto’s, selenium may help reduce thyroid antibodies, including TPO and TG antibodies.

If you don’t get enough selenium, you might experience low thyroid function, hair loss, fatigue, and brain fog (which can include memory problems, lack of focus, or difficulty thinking clearly). You can have your selenium levels tested with a blood test, but these tests only show recent intake or what’s currently stored in some of your organs.  

It’s also important not to overdo selenium. Too much selenium can cause hair loss, skin issues, nail discoloration, diarrhea, or vomiting.

How to Improve Selenium Levels

Great food sources of selenium include Brazil nuts (just 1–2 nuts can give you 68–91 mcg of selenium), sunflower seeds, chia seeds, tuna, salmon, cod, herring, beef liver, chicken, and eggs. If you don’t eat these foods often, consider taking a high-quality multivitamin with selenium. 

If you take a separate selenium supplement, aim for no more than 200 mcg per day, with an upper limit of 400 mcg.  Long-term use is not recommended, so focus on a short-term supplementation (3 to 6 months). If you are taking a selenium supplement, look for selenium in the form of selenomethionine as it seems to be more easily absorbed.  

Gut health is also important, to ensure that the nutrients from your food are absorbed into your body!  Forget the saying “You are what you eat”.  Now, it is “you are what your gut absorbs”!