Description
Organic form of selenium 200mcg per capsule – 100 capsules
We use a natural organic form of selenium (Selenomethionine )
NOTE: organic forms of selenium, such as selenomethionine, are safer and are more readily absorbed than any other form of selenium. Other forms can cause a toxicity issue in your body. In fact, organic forms of selenium are the only way to raise serum levels of selenium within the body. When using organic forms of selenium, current research shows that doses up to 1600 mcg a day were well tolerated with no signs of toxicity although most experts recommend upper tolerable limits to be 400-600 mcg a day.
Selenium is an essential trace element that inhibits the oxidation of lipids (fats) and works synergistically with vitamin E to assist in the production of antibodies and maintain healthy liver, pancreas, thyroid, and heart function. It also serves as an antioxidant by activating glutathione peroxidase, an antioxidant enzyme that protects cell membranes from free radicals.
Selenium is second only to iodine in terms of thyroid support. The thyroid gland itself contains more selenium by weight than any other organ.2 Selenium is necessary for the conversion of T4 into T3, the more active form of thyroid hormone. Without selenium, there would be no T3 and your cells and tissues would begin to malfunction.
In addition to its role in producing T3, selenium is also a potent antioxidant that protects your thyroid cells from oxidative damage. Without optimal levels of selenium, iodine, as it’s incorporated into thyroid hormone, can actually damage the thyroid gland.
Selenium deficiency is not thought to be common in healthy adults, but is more likely to be found in those with digestive health issues causing poor absorption of nutrients, such as Crohn’s or celiac disease, or those with serious inflammation due to chronic infection.
It is thought that selenium deficiency does not specifically cause illness by itself, but that it makes the body more susceptible to illnesses caused by other nutritional, biochemical or infectious stresses, due to its role in immune function.
Adequate selenium nutrition supports efficient thyroid hormone synthesis and metabolism and protects the thyroid gland from damage from excessive iodine exposure.
Several research studies have demonstrated the benefits of selenium supplementation in treating autoimmune thyroid conditions. One study found that selenium supplementation had a significant impact on inflammatory activity in thyroid- specific autoimmune disease, and reducing inflammation may limit damage to thyroid tissue.
This may be due to the increase in glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase activity, as well as the decrease in toxic concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and lipid hydroperoxides which result from thyroid hormone synthesis.
Another study followed patients for 9 months, and found that selenium supplementation reduced thyroid peroxidase antibody levels in the blood, even in selenium sufficient patients.
For clients with HASHIMOTO’S thyroid disease selenium is essential.
___________________
Selenium Can Decrease Antibody Levels
As it turns out, there is a trace mineral called selenium that plays an important role in thyroid biochemistry. Selenium deficiency has been implicated in the etiology of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and selenium supplementation has been found beneficial.
Three Selenium Studies Published in the Peer Reviewed Medical Literature Showing Selenium is Beneficial in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
The first study from Crete was published in the 2007 Thyroid Journal. This study reported a 21 % reduction in TPO antibodies after one year of selenomethionine supplements (200 mcg per day).
A second study from Germany from the 2002 Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism showed a 40 % reduction in antibody levels after selenium supplementation with 9 of 36 (25%) patients completely normalizing their antibody levels.
A third study done in Turkey by Omer Turker et al. was published in the 2006 Journal of Endocrinology. They showed a 30% decrease in anti-thyroid antibodies after three months of L-selenomethionine supplementation at 200 mcg per day in women with Hashimotos thyroiditis. The starting average TPO antibodies of 803 and after three months the average was 572.
We have actually seen even better results with our clients who follow a full nutritional program. Why is Selenium So Important for Thyroid Function?
Recent advances in research into thyroid cell physiology shows that selenium is very important for thyroid function. There are at least 30 selenium dependent proteins, including the glutathione peroxidase enzyme, and the Iodothyronine deiodinases enzyme (this is the one that converts thyroxine (T4) to bioactive (T3). These preteins all need selenium as a co-factor in order to function properly. The selenoprotein, glutathione peroxidase, protects thyroid cells from damage by H2O2 produced by the thyroid cell. H2O2 is needed as a normal step in thyroid hormone production, However, too much H202 can damage the thyroid cell. In the event of selenium deficiency, the glutathione peroxidase enzyme cannot do its job protecting the thyroid cell, and the thyroid cells are damaged by excess H2O2. The current theory is that this damaged cell material is then recognized by the immune system as foreign, leading to Hashimoto’s autoimmune disease.
