Selenium Health Vitamins Nutrition: Selenium Antioxidant Benefits

Health Benefits of Selenium as an antioxidant

Selenium is present in all the tissues of the body and is an essential trace mineral. It plays the role of an antioxidant and fights cancer. It is the main component of an enzyme (glutathione peroxidase) and neutralizes free radicals between and within the cells. And selenium is essential to the body to produce this enzyme.

Selenium works to stop lipid peroxidation and specifically protects the liver from damage.

By preventing the oxidation of fatty tissue, Selenium helps to maintain the suppleness and elasticity of body tissues and thereby it combats effects of aging. Proper amount of selenium strengthens the heart, maintains muscle mass and tone and promotes healthy skin.

Tests conducted have proved that selenium is protective against cancer. Tumor cells grow in animals that are selenium deficient, but tumors do not survive selenium rich animals. The animals are protected against both carcinogen and virus induced cancer.

Selenium Vitamins and Selenium Nutrition

Selenium works in close relations with Vitamin E. The level of each nutrient in our body will affect our need for the other, because they are complementary. Selenium destroys fat-soluble oxidants in the watery areas of the cells and Vitamin E serves the body in the fatty areas of the cell. The effect of selenium is enhanced by Vitamin E, and the assimilation of Vitamin E is improved by selenium.

People are unable to maintain healthy levels of selenium because either the soil in which the food is grown is low in selenium or the foods that they eat are low in selenium. Adding fertilizers to the soil that comprises selenium can solve the problem. Change in diet, and supplementation is also good enough and will benefit the body.

Dosages of Selenium

Too much of Selenium is toxic, so be careful. A daily supplement of 50-200mcg is considered safe, and more than 200mg of Selenium is usually not recommended. More than Sodium Selenite usually found in supplements, selenomethionine (found in plants) is better absorbed. So better buy the natural form. Use it with Vitamin E for best antioxidant properties.

You may also want to read about: Beta Carotene , Lipids

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