Everything You Must Know About Selenium and Weight Loss

Selenium is a trace mineral that is present in many foods, such as nuts and fish. Selenium and weight loss have an undeniable connection. Weight loss begins by accelerating the breakdown of fat cells and then by slowing their buildup. Well, selenium may lower oxidative stress and improve thyroid function — which plays a part in maintaining metabolism — along the way.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of selenium…

Selenium Benefits

Selenium is an essential mineral for human health. It can help protect your cells from damage and has been shown to reduce the severity of various diseases.

Selenium deficiencies are very rare in the US, but it’s possible to be exposed to lower selenium levels through meat, eggs, and grains if your soil lacks this vital mineral. (1) 

Selenium is essential for thyroid gland function, which regulates one’s metabolism and body weight. So having food that contains uncut carbs can lead someone with low Selenium levels to gain weight due to their metabolism being slower than what it should be.

Selenium Benefits for the Thyroid Gland

The thyroid gland uses selenium to synthesize and release hormones that regulate how the body produces energy from food. Selenium also plays an important role in regulating your metabolism and energy levels. 

Selenium is essential for the proper functioning of enzymes, including those involved in DNA synthesis, reproduction, and repair. In fact, people with low selenium levels are believed to be at risk of developing Hashimoto’s disease (autoimmune hypothyroidism), a disorder where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland.

Skin

Your skin maintains its flexibility and elasticity due largely to its high content of selenium. In fact, a selenium deficiency is known to produce symptoms of skin disorder, hair loss, and muscle deterioration.

Cancer Prevention

Studies have shown that some cancers develop more slowly or are even prevented in people with adequate selenium levels. Therefore, researchers suggest that selenium may help prevent some forms of cancer. (2)

An important biological role for selenium is its antioxidant activity. Selenium acts along with the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and thioredoxin reductase (TR) in reducing hydrogen peroxide and other reactive oxygen species such as lipid hydroperoxides.

Heart Health

Selenium’s antioxidant activity may benefit heart health. In fact, selenium supplements are commonly prescribed to patients with chronic cardiovascular disorders, where there are scarce cofactors for these enzymes. 

Antioxidants such as selenium have been shown to have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system by reducing oxidative stress; this includes protection against the development of atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by lipid peroxidation and accumulation of cholesterol plaques in the arteries. (3)

Selenium and Weight Loss

It’s never too late to make changes in your life, and weight loss is no exception. Recent researches have shown that selenium can help regulate weight gain and appetite. This section will explain why a selenium-rich diet can help you lose weight.

Let’s remember what selenium is?  Selenium is a trace mineral that helps produce thyroid hormone which regulates your metabolism rate. It also regulates lipids which are fats in your bloodstream that affect cholesterol levels and heart health. Selenium deficiency can cause hypothyroidism or an enlarged thyroid gland due to antibodies attacking the gland tissue causing inflammation or enlargement respectively…

So, how does selenium help you lose weight?  If a person has a higher level of selenium in the blood and thyroid gland can regulate metabolism rate. This means that your body will burn more calories due to the high metabolism and with dietary changes, the overall weight loss is just dependent on how much you eat. 

With an increased metabolic rate, a person can be active more often and burn more calories… Selenium and weight loss are connected for sure.

In short: Selenium plays an important part in human health by producing thyroid hormone which controls metabolism rate and lipids. It also helps regulate cholesterol levels. Selenium deficiency can cause hypothyroidism (due to antibodies attacking the gland tissue) or enlarged thyroid gland (due to inflammation).

Best Selenium Rich Foods

Everyone wants to know what the best selenium-rich foods are. When people ask me, I usually recommend a whole-food diet that includes plenty of fish and other sea animals as well as plants rich in selenium, such as Brazil nuts and brazil nuts. It is important to note that selenium supplements can be toxic if you take them without a doctor’s supervision.

Nuts

Brazil nuts are the best source. An ounce of brazil nuts contains 544 mcg of selenium, which is more than 989% of what the RDI is for selenium. However, to really get your full RDI for selenium, you should eat between 1 and 2 ounces of brazil nuts each day.

Tuna

Tuna is also a relatively good source of selenium. Each 3 oz portion provides 92 mcg of selenium, which is 167% of the RDI.

Chronic deficiency causes painful, crippling diseases such as osteoarthritis, hair loss, and brittle nails, numbness and tingling in the limbs, impaired vision and hearing, weak immune system functions, cancerous cell growth, and more. 

Sardines

Sardines can also make it into the list of the best selenium-rich foods. A 3 oz portion of sardines in oil, without the bones, contains 82% of the RDI. That’s because it provides 45 mcg of selenium per 3 oz portion.

Halibut

An equal-sized portion of halibut contains 47 mcg or 85% of the RDI. As you can see, most selenium rich foods are fish.

Shrimp

A 3 oz portion of cooked, shrimp contains 40 mcg of selenium, which is 73% of the RDI. 

Selenium Supplements

If you want to supplement your selenium-rich diet, you may want to consider taking a selenium supplement. Selenium is an important mineral that can help protect your cells from oxidative stress and it also helps the thyroid gland do its job. Selenium deficiency has been linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Type 2 Diabetes. These side effects prove the link between selenium and weight loss.

We recommend taking 200 mcg of selenium for adults for everyday intake. You should also talk to your doctor about the type of selenium supplement you are taking or what dosage is best suited for you before starting to take this supplement on a regular basis because it could interact with other medications you are currently taking.

Nested Naturals Selenium

Natural and ethically produced ingredients are the focus of Nested Naturals. In Nested Naturals selenium, you will find all-natural ingredients that are non-GMO.

Since L-Selenomethionine is derived from food, it has the same chemical structure as the mineral. It is better absorbed and retained by our bodies than the salt-based forms, selenate, and selenite, which are mostly eliminated through urination.

You need just one capsule per day to consume 200 micrograms of selenium. It’s nut-free and vegan.

To make sure you’re getting exactly what the label says, Selenium is tested and certified by a third party before it ships.

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Conclusion

There is no doubt that selenium is an essential mineral. Its various health benefits can help reduce the risk of getting various cardiovascular, respiratory, and autoimmune diseases.

It also regulates thyroid hormones, which also helps in weight loss as well as preventing obesity. So it would be a good idea to include some of these foods in your diet or to buy a selenium supplement if you don’t have enough selenium from food sources. Do not underestimate how connected selenium and weight loss can be.

Selenium deficiency, on the other hand, has been linked to several diseases and conditions including obesity and cardiovascular diseases. This is because the thyroid hormone controls metabolism and lipid levels that affect heart health. Read the article below to learn more:

Here is What to Do About Thyroid And Weight Loss

Selenium is extremely important for your well-being. Be sure to include selenium-rich foods in your diet.

Thank you for reading.

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