Lipid-bound Selenium
Like all essential trace minerals selenium serves myriad functions. Of particular note here:
- Oxidative stress: Toxins turn essential cell membrane fatty acids into self-propagating lipid peroxides. Selenium is a key component of glutathione peroxidases, an important family of enzymes in the elimination of lipid peroxides.
- Heavy metal toxicity: Selenium binds mercury. The newly formed compound is removed as waste. Studies on rats show selenium is protective against cadmium toxicity.
- Cancer Prevention: Geographic areas with low selenium have a higher incidence of cancers. In Japan on the other hand long life-expectancy and low cancer rates are attributed to soil and water rich in selenium.
- Cancer treatment: Selenium supplementation decreases cancer deaths.
- Thyroid: the highest concentrations of selenium are found in the thyroid where it participates in thyroid hormone synthesis and protects against autoimmunity (Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease), goiter, nodules and thyroid cancer.
Food sources of selenium include pasture-raised eggs, mushrooms, shellfish, meat (including organ meats), as well as seeds.
Although most Americans get the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of selenium, the late Dr. Gerhard Schrauzer, a world renowned expert and researcher on selenium, said in a 2010 interview: “…for effective cancer risk reduction, selenium supplementation at reasonable levels in adults for example, 100-200 mcg per day, should begin as early as possible and be maintained over the entire lifespan.”
One drop of Lipid-bound Selenium provides 210 mcg. Two drops of Lipid-bound Selenium provides 410 mcg. 400 mcg per day is considered safe upper limit of supplemental selenium.
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