As a thyroid gland, I have been troubled by diseases for so many years: hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer…
Human beings have also been trying to find out the cause of my illness, hoping to cure it. In the process of this exploration, they found that some trace elements are closely related to my health, such as iodine, which is familiar to me, and selenium, which is unfamiliar to me. The content of these two elements in the human body is very small and indispensable.
This article mainly talks about the function of [selenium].
Is what selenium?
[Selenium], originally the name of the Greek legend moon goddess. In 1817, Swedish chemists gave this high cold name to a newly discovered chemical element. However, it was not until 1957 that human beings discovered that this chemical element called selenium can not only prevent liver necrosis, but also promote body growth, thus being listed as a necessary trace element for life.
Later, I found the effect of selenium on my thyroid gland, just like fish need water. If I lack selenium, I will suffer from diseases.
Selenium, may have these effects
1. Alleviate Hashimoto’s onset process
Anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody may not be unfamiliar to everyone. Its English abbreviation is TPOAb, which often appears in the test form of thyroid function examination.
TPOAb is the sworn enemy of my thyroid gland. Once a large number of TPOAb attack me, I will be unable to resist and black and blue all over. This is also one of the causes of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
To my relief, there are currently studies that show that TPOAb levels in adults with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can be significantly reduced after selenium supplementation. In that way, I will be much more relaxed.
2. Prevention of postpartum thyroiditis
In addition to fighting [Hashimoto], it is also helpful to prevent postpartum thyroiditis.
Some mothers suffer from postpartum thyroiditis within one year after giving birth to their babies, which may cause temporary or permanent hypothyroidism. Like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, one of the main culprits leading to postpartum thyroiditis is TPOAb.
For TPOAb-positive mothers in thyroid function tests, selenium supplementation during pregnancy and postpartum can reduce the incidence of postpartum thyroiditis.
3. Adjuvant treatment of hyperthyroidism
For selenium-deficient hyperthyroidism patients, I can recover faster if selenium is supplemented while taking drugs.
Selenium deficiency may bring these hazards.
1. Reduce the utilization rate of thyroid hormone
If selenium is deficient, the utilization rate of thyroxine in the human body will decrease, just like eating without absorption. In order to keep up with the needs of the body, I can only be a desperate saburo and produce more thyroxine.
Overwork may make my whole body swollen-people will find their goiter swollen.
2. The immune system is prone to problems.
When selenium is deficient, my immune system is also prone to disorder. People are more likely to suffer from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and hyperthyroidism, and the disease is obviously aggravated.
3. Increased risk of thyroid cancer
Worse still, the lower the selenium content in my body, the higher my risk of thyroid cancer.
At the same time, for thyroid cancer patients, the lower the selenium level, the higher the malignant degree of the tumor and the worse the recovery in the future.
How to obtain selenium in daily life?
In nature, selenium is distributed in soil, water and various animals and plants. Selenium can enter the human body through drinking water or food, and through a series of complex changes, it becomes a protein containing selenium to play a role in the human body.
Eating is the most convenient way to obtain selenium.
According to my observation for many years, the selenium content is obviously related to the region, and the selenium content of animals and plants in selenium-rich regions will be relatively high. As far as food varieties are concerned, meat, seafood, mushrooms, etc. contain high selenium. However, most seafood has the problem of high iodine content at the same time. Those who are not suitable for seafood can choose other selenium-enriched foods to supplement selenium, such as pig kidney, pig liver, duck liver, mutton, cashew nuts, almonds, etc.
50% ~ 100% selenium in food can be absorbed by human body. The absorption rate is so high, why is there still selenium deficiency?
Because different regions, different kinds of food selenium content varies greatly. Take China for example, 72% of the land area belongs to areas with low selenium or selenium deficiency. Therefore, different countries, the recommended daily selenium intake is also different. The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that selenium intake should be 50-250 g per day, but not more than 400 g.
Scientific Supplement of Selenium, Beware of Excessive
To know whether there is a lack of selenium, you can draw blood from a qualified hospital and test the selenium content in the blood. Selenium deficiency supplements selenium, no shortage does not supplement.
1. What are the selenium supplements?
Selenium-supplementing drugs include organic selenium, such as selenium yeast; Inorganic selenium, such as sodium selenite. Organic selenium is better than inorganic selenium in absorption and has fewer adverse reactions.
There are also many selenium-containing health care products or foods on the market, which can be selected appropriately. However, these are not recommended to be purchased and used at will. Because selenium supplement, I am most worried that too much is too much.
2. Excessive selenium will poison
When the amount of selenium in the body often exceeds 800 g, selenium poisoning may occur, manifested as vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea, hair and nail damage, etc. Severe excess will lead to liver cirrhosis, pulmonary edema and even death.
However, normal selenium intake will not cause the above adverse reactions.
Selenium supplement is recommended under the guidance of doctors.
A moderate amount of selenium is my health guardian.
However, more reliable research is needed to provide evidence on whether selenium supplement can effectively prevent me from suffering from diseases, or prevent the development of the disease, as well as how much selenium should be supplemented and how long selenium should be supplemented.
Protecting health, in fact, good [selenium] has just taken the stage.