Do not treat selenium deficiency on your own

The trace element is vital, but only in very small quantities. Taking additional amounts without a prior medical examination carries considerable risks.

Selenium is one of the essential trace elements without which our body cannot function. It is important in many ways:

- Selenium has an antioxidant effect: As a component of enzymes (e.g. glutathione peroxidase) it breaks down cell-damaging oxygen compounds (free radicals) that damage DNA and cause cancer, and reduces oxidative Stress a;

- Selenium is crucial for the metabolism of Thyroid hormones involved: As a component of the enzyme thyroxine-5-deiodinase, selenium is active in iodine metabolism and thus in the activation of thyroid hormones. It converts thyroxine into triiodothyronine. If there is too little selenium, a hypothyroidism (hypothyroidism) with negative effects on the cardiovascular system, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and our metabolism.

“Selenium is an essential substance, but our organism cannot produce it itself. We have to get it through food,” explains Dr. Reinhold Lunow, medical director of Praxisklinik Bornheim near Cologne and Bonn. In food, selenium is bound to protein, so protein-rich foods are good sources of selenium: meat (liver, kidney), fish, milk, eggs, grains, vegetables and Brazil nuts provide plenty of selenium. This means that the daily requirement of around 30-70 µg (= micrograms/millionth of a gram) can be covered effortlessly.

Selenium deficiency: Causes and Consequences

Extremely one-sided eating habits and chronic digestive disorders impair the selenium supply. Vegans and alcoholics are particularly at risk, as are starvation, bulimia, artificial Nutrition or dialysis increases the risk of deficiency symptoms. This also applies to certain kidney diseases, heavy bleeding (hemorrhoids, menstrual bleeding) and serious injuries such as burns.

If a selenium deficiency occurs, the selenium-dependent enzymes are also impaired in their function - and practically all organ systems are affected. The symptoms are therefore very different. They range from changes in nails and hair, flaky skin to liver damage (necrosis, liver carcinoma), disorders in growth and bone formation as well as weakening and painful diseases of the muscles (myopathy). If this affects the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), arrhythmias, coronary heart disease (CHD) and heart failure. In addition, a selenium deficiency promotes the development of various types of cancer such as prostate, colon, breast, ovarian and lung cancer.

No clinical signs of selenium deficiency

However, a selenium deficiency cannot be determined based on clinical signs. So anyone who takes nutritional supplements or vitamin tablets with selenium on their own when they have the symptoms mentioned is taking a high risk. "Such preparations often contain far too high amounts of selenium, often several hundred micrograms. In addition to a healthy diet containing selenium, an overdose or even downright selenium poisoning can quickly occur," warns Dr. Lunow.

The consequences of selenium intoxication, like a selenium deficiency, are serious. “Sometimes the thyroid the production of hormones or even stops it completely," says the internist. As with selenium deficiency, this also affects numerous metabolic processes in the entire organism. Changes in the skin, hair, nerves (peripheral neuropathy) and complaints in the gastrointestinal tract occur. The risk of developing a Diabetes to develop is increasing.

Reliable statements about selenium supply can only be made with a blood test. For this purpose, the Doctor the level of selenoprotein P in the blood. When treating a selenium deficiency, the cause must always be investigated: Is it due to a poor diet or is there another disease behind it?

Selenium supplementation Hashimoto's thyroiditis

In particular, a thyroid disorder should be ruled out. A typical example of a disorder that requires the administration of high doses of selenium is Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a chronic autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland. In order to inhibit the formation of autoantibodies that attack the tissue of the organ, a daily selenium dose of up to 300 µg (micrograms or millionths of a gram) is necessary.

The practice clinic Bornheim For many years we have specialized in the Diagnosis and treatment of this disease. "Only after a thorough medical examination can one decide whether and how much selenium should be taken additionally," says Dr. Lunow. "After a blood test, we know what the personal selenium supply is. If necessary, we can carry out a thorough individual health check reliably identify and treat the causes of a deficiency."

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