Where you live makes a world of
difference in your need to take selenium supplements. If you are
short of selenium, then your doctor should be able to tell you to
take selenium supplements. If you live in Canada, the USA, Japan,
and Venezuela, you should be careful about taking selenium
supplements. If you live in Europe, you may need to consider adding
selenium supplements to your program.
Before you put a lot of confidence in
many of the studies claiming certain health benefits, please
understand that many of these benefits can happen for people that
have low selenium blood levels. When people have normal selenium
blood levels (above 122 µg/L - micrograms per liter) unimpressive
results were obtained. American men average 134 µg/L.
The U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM)
has determined the upper limit to be 400 micrograms per day. Too
much selenium can cause a condition called selenosis, which includes
symptoms such as gastrointestinal upset, hair loss, white blotchy
nails, garlic breath odor, fatigue, irritability, and mild nerve
damage.
It is good to know that selenium has a
low therapeutic range and when too much is consumed, the result may
be the development of type 2 diabetes. Since I have type 2 diabetes,
I do not have this concern, but I still try not to take more than a
maintenance level of selenium.
In countries that are generally low in
selenium for the population, low selenium intake has been linked to
memory and brain decline, low immune system quality, and higher risk
of death. From studies, these people may also benefit from added
intake of selenium to protect themselves from certain cancers,
increase male fertility, and increase antiviral solutions.
Researchers emphasize that because
evidence from studies are mixed in benefits that people in countries
with low natural selenium be more concerned about their levels than
in North America.
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