Selenium and Thyroid Disease: The Correlation

Right from your metabolism to the production of the thyroid hormone, selenium is one trace mineral that your body needs regularly in enough amounts to function smoothly. Likewise, a lack of selenium can produce adverse effects like hair loss, fatigue, infections, infertility, muscle weakness, etc.

So, what is the ideal recommended daily intake of selenium, how does selenium deficiency affect your body, and which are the best foods for selenium?

If you're looking for the answers to these questions, then you are at the right place. In the below sections, we have a detailed explanation on selenium deficiency symptoms and how selenium containing health supplements for thyroid work.

What Is Selenium?

Selenium is an essential mineral that your body requires in small amounts daily to carry out many important functions, such as—

The metabolism of thyroid hormone
Reproduction
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) synthesis
Protecting your body against oxidative damage
Fighting against infections

While selenium-rich foods are the best sources of it, other natural sources of selenium include water and soil. Apart from this, you can also opt for selenium health supplements to stay away from selenium deficiency symptoms. ⁴

What Are the Benefits of Selenium?

Here are the 5 most important benefits of selenium:

1. Antioxidant Properties

During metabolism, your body produces byproducts called free radicals. Even though these free radicals are important for your body to a certain extent, excess is dangerous for your overall health.

Likewise, when your body has more than the required number of free radicals, it results in oxidative stress. Oxidative stress leads to cell damage. This cell damage, if not controlled on time, can even progress to conditions like—

Alzheimer's disease
Heart disease
Cancer
Premature Ageing
Stroke

This is where selenium comes into play. Selenium-rich foods contain antioxidants. These antioxidants help remove extra free radicals from your body, ultimately protecting it against the negative effects of oxidative stress. ⁵

2. Keeps The Heart Healthy

Twenty-five observational studies concluded that even a 50% increase in the levels of selenium in your blood could reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 24%.

Another review consisting of 16 controlled studies that took more than 4,33,000 heart disease patients under consideration proved that—

"The regular consumption of selenium supplements significantly decreased C-reactive protein (CRP), a well-known inflammatory marker."

Apart from these, selenium-rich foods also provide your body with glutathione peroxidase. Glutathione peroxidase is a strong antioxidant.

All in all, selenium-rich foods help to keep your heart healthy by reducing the risk of—

Inflammation
Oxidative stress
Atherosclerosis (a risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and the development of heart disease)

3. Decreases Asthma Symptoms

Asthma is a respiratory disorder that results in the inflammation of your airways, leading to symptoms like—

Coughing
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Tightness in the chest

Asthma occurs as a result of increased inflammation and oxidative stress in your body. Since selenium contains antioxidants and can minimise inflammation, it is known to reduce asthma symptoms.

4. Helps In Fighting Against Infections

Keeping our immunity strong is another significant benefit of selenium-rich foods.

Immunity refers to your body's ability to fight against infections and several other potential threats that can damage your health in any way. This includes fighting against—

Viruses
Bacteria
Parasites

Several research studies have concluded that when there is enough selenium in your blood, your immune system functions more efficiently to protect you against infections. However, a selenium deficiency has been linked to poor and slower immune responses.

5. Decreases The Risk of Cancer

One of the most crucial benefits of selenium-rich foods is their ability to fight against different types of cancers, including—

Breast Cancer
Lung Cancer
Colon Cancer
Prostate Cancer

Moreover, research studies have also shown that selenium supplements are highly effective at decreasing the adverse effects of radiation therapy in cancer patients.

Several reasons why selenium is so effective at decreasing cancer risk include its ability to—

Minimise DNA damage
Prevent the multiplication of free radicals
Enhancing the strength of your immunity system
Destroy cancer cells

The Role of Selenium in Thyroid Health

Your thyroid gland is responsible for regulating several bodily processes, such as—

Selenium Benefits for Thyroid

The thyroid gland is the most selenium-abundant organ in adults. Selenium is, therefore, one of the most important minerals necessary for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. It enables your thyroid to—

Selenium Deficiency and Its Impact on Thyroid Function

Selenium, as we have already discussed earlier, is important for regulating the thyroid hormone and protecting your body from the cell damage caused by free radicals. Thus, selenium and thyroid health are closely interlinked.

In the sections below, we have discussed more about how selenium deficiency impacts your thyroid health.

Selenium For Hypothyroidism

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is a specific type of hypothyroidism that develops as a result of selenium deficiency in your body. In this disease, the cells of your immune system directly attack your thyroid gland, causing problems with its functioning.

Selenium Deficiency Symptoms

Selenium deficiency symptoms usually appear when your diet does not contain enough natural sources of selenium, either in the form of selenium-rich foods or selenium-containing thyroid health supplements.

Health Supplements for Thyroid

To help you stay away from selenium deficiency symptoms, several research studies have brought the following conclusions showcasing the benefits of selenium for the thyroid gland—

Natural Sources of Selenium: 8 Best Selenium-Rich Foods

The best foods for selenium deficiency include Brazil nuts, seafood, lean meat, pasta, rice, eggs, oatmeal, and baked beans. Here are why these food items are considered to be the best foods to increase your selenium intake.

1. Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are the best foods for selenium deficiency. In fact, they are the most powerful natural sources of selenium because each Brazil nut contains as much as 95 micrograms of selenium. This is double how much selenium you need daily.

2. Rice

Rice does not contain gluten. It is, therefore, one of the best foods for selenium deficiency patients who also have celiac disease or other types of wheat or gluten allergies.

3. Seafood

4. Oatmeal

For vegetarians, apart from rice, oatmeal is another excellent natural source of selenium that you can eat in multiple ways to treat selenium deficiency symptoms.

5. Lean Meat

To prevent selenium deficiency symptoms, here are the best ways to eat lean meat—

6. Baked Beans

Baked beans are another great source of selenium for people who follow a vegetarian diet. They are packed with other healthy nutrients like fibre, which adds to the health benefits of selenium. 1 cup of baked beans contains at least 12 mcg of selenium

7. Eggs

Eating only one large egg can fulfil approximately 28% of your day-to-day selenium requirement. In fact, the egg white alone contains 9 mcg of selenium.

8. Pasta

If you're looking for a tasty alternative, then pasta is the tastiest option on the list of the best foods for selenium. Here is why:

Balancing Selenium Intake: How Much Is Too Much?

Sufficient intake of selenium, whether it is through health supplements for thyroid or selenium-rich foods, is important. However, excess selenium can produce toxicity, which can be life-threatening in some cases. So, here is how you can balance your selenium intake:

How Much Selenium Do I Need?

RDA refers to the recommended dietary allowance. It is the minimum quantity of any given nutrient that you must take daily to prevent its deficiency. For adults, the RDA to combat selenium deficiency symptoms is a maximum of 400 micrograms of selenium per day.

What Happens When You Take Excess of Selenium?

As mentioned before, overconsumption of selenium can produce toxicity in your body. This toxicity gives rise to other adverse effects and signs like—

In fact, extreme selenium toxicity can also lead to heart attack and even death in some cases.

The Connection Between Selenium and Other Nutrients for Thyroid Health

When it comes to thyroid health, selenium is often combined with other essential nutrients like iodine to produce the best benefits. This is because, similar to selenium, iodine is also found in abundance in the thyroid gland. Therefore, when combined, selenium and iodine together contribute to the ideal secretion of the thyroid hormone. ⁸

After selenium and iodine, the 3rd most important mineral required for the efficient functioning of the thyroid gland is iron. ⁹ Research has shown that iron deficiency and anaemia are both directly linked to hypothyroidism.

Therefore, while looking for health supplements for the thyroid, it is essential to opt for thyroid health supplements that contain a combination of selenium, iodine, and iron.

Who Needs More Selenium?

Some people are at a greater risk of developing selenium deficiency symptoms due to personal and environmental factors. Hence, they might need a higher quantity of selenium-rich foods and other natural sources of selenium compared to others to get its benefits.

Likewise, the people who need more selenium than others to deal with selenium deficiency symptoms include—

Conclusion

All in all, selenium is vital to avoid the chances of developing hypothyroidism. Brazil nuts, seafood, lean meat options, pasta, rice, eggs, oatmeal, and baked beans are some great selenium-rich foods that can help you fight against selenium deficiency symptoms naturally. Apart from these, you can also opt for health supplements for thyroid, especially the ones containing iron and iodine along with selenium, to get the most benefits.