What about Selenium?
 

Recently I have been researching selenium and I am coming to the conclusion this is a very important supplement.

I have not seen it discussed much here, anyone else think this is important? Do you supplement with it? What is your story/opinion?

Selenium is controversial IMO to supplement.

Used to be 200mcg was the suggested upper limit, but that was
downgraded to 100mcg not too long ago on some sites.

Selenium has the dubious distinction of being one of the most common manufacturing errors, in making supplements or animal feed. The animal feed industry has had more than one poisoning event, and there have been human ones too.

Many of the common multivitamins with minerals have about 50mcg in them now for example.

If you eat Brazil nuts, you can get your selenium that way. Also in meat and fish.

Selenium
 

Hello fellow members,
I read somewhere on the internet that a high level of selenium can cause peripheral neuropathy. I suffer from idiopathic peripheral neuropathy and blood test results showed a high level of vitamin B6 and selenium. I wasn't taking any supplements or vitamins, apparently I was eating foods rich in B6 and selenium.
My neuropathy is mainly numbness in both feet, up to the ankle on the left foot, there's also some numbness in my finger tips. I have some pain and burning sensation when I walk a lot. I started taking r-lipoic acid (50 mgs) today as well as 80 mgs of benfotiamine. I'm starting with low doses even though I'm tempted to increase the doses because the numbness is driving me crazy.
To all of you out there, please have a blood test done to check your selenium levels before you start taking this trace element. Our bodies need only a small amount.
zqicas















zqicas

It is always good to have the best integrative MD's to guide with this and other supplements. Pregnenalone is also good. So many things help!

Interesting.

Well I have read selenium is good for thyroid.

I'll have to keep up the research before charging ahead.

thanks

I am bringing this back up because a thyroid forum I post in says selenium is a must for healthy thyroid function and a few say it does help with their PN.

I think I am going to try it.

I take Selenium only once a week. My daily multivitamin, which i take regularly, has Selenium in it.

For what are you taking it? I've been taking it and DHEA for ~2 yrs. to help control chronic pain.

Doc

Really important for the nervous system.

Got Link? :lookaround:

Doc

My thyroid forum I post at talks about selenium for thyroid. I have read it online before but listening to all of them discuss it has brought it back to the forefront for me.

So many, but most information from doctors. I will look.

Becareful with Selenium
 

Old post but I'll chime in since it might help some future reader.

It's okay to consider a little selenium but I would be careful.

I have recently researched this a little. I have recently gone through chemotherapy and have chemo induced neuropathy. With the chemo my immune system is low. I have an integrative doctor who was trained in both traditional western "school" medicine and alternative medicine who is looking at the "whole picture. She wants to help bring my entire immune system up slowly and so she ran a slew of tests to look at the whole picture. She says my selenium is low and wants to slowly bring it up to help my whole immune system. She also doesn't like doing it with supplements and suggest I eat 2-3 Brazil nuts a day.

I then read a little about Selenium in general and Brazil nuts in particular and I concur that you really must be careful not to over do it. Brazil nuts are a quandary in that they have some wonderful nutrients but too many can be toxic, unless you are a 20th generation native to the part of the amazon where they grow naturally and have built up a system that can handle eating them profusely when in season.

If you google you can find lots of articles on this and lots of warnings. Also google "foods high in selenium" and incorporate them into your diet in moderate amounts. World's Healthiest Foods is a reputable, trustworthy, science-based website.

So I personally would recommend (and am currently myself) get your Selenium naturally and patiently in small doses over time and I really wouldn't over do it.

On a different vitamin, I erroneously overdid dosage and really regretted it later.

It took millions of years for our food and our bodies to evolve into their current form. Scientists don't know all the things that are in selenium-rich foods that are there to help us to absorb the selenium - so go for the natural food source if it does the job rather than some man made up pill. Also have your doctor test and retest and keep an eye on your levels over time.