In the XIX century, the microelement of selenium was discovered by a Swedish scientist and was considered a very dangerous poison. Over the years, in science, as always, opinions radically differed, and in the end, in 1980, WHO recognized selenium as an integral component of a healthy diet. Today we know not only about the benefits of selenium, but also the terrible consequences resulting from the lack of food containing selenium on our table. All this is now more detailed.
Benefit
First of all, the consumption of products with selenium increases our immunity. In figures, this is 77% less than the endocrine system and 47% less than all other diseases. Selenium is a protein with pronounced antioxidant properties. Selenium increases our resistance to bacteria, viruses, prevents the accumulation of free radicals in the body.
This micronutrient will protect against UV radiation and allergies to chemicals. Selenium is involved in the synthesis of all hormones, as well as in most of the biochemical processes of the body.
Products containing selenium are very important for the human gastrointestinal tract, since selenium normalizes Ph intestines, participates in the synthesis of healthy microflora and improves nutrition of the walls of the mucous membrane. In addition, selenium prevents the propagation of pathogenic fungi, which are often the fruits of rotting and fermentation processes in the stomach. These fungi affect, for example, the liver.
For pregnant women selenium is even more important than for anyone else. First, it prevents the onset of premature birth, protects the fetus from birth with defects, as well as early infant death. The amount of selenium in the diet of the nursing mother directly depends on the amount of breast milk.
In products
And now the paradox: this integral, in all terms, words, selenium, we need only 10 to 200 micrograms per day. With age, the intake of selenium should increase depending on the weight, for example, infants and toddlers need 10 μg of selenium up to 10 months, and at the age of six it is 20 μg. For adult males, the optimal dose of a trace element in selenium in foods is 70 μg, for women 55 μg. And during pregnancy and lactation, the dosage increases to 200 mcg per day.
Selenium is abundant in by-products - liver, kidneys, lungs, hearts. Also selenium is found in sea fish and seafood - cod, herring, flounder, sardines, salmon, mackerel, tuna, shrimps , mussels, oysters, lobsters and in general any seafood.
You should also look for selenium in nuts, most of it is found in Brazil nuts - 1530 mcg per 100 g. But since you already know about the dosage of selenium, we do not recommend you to eat Brazilian nuts in quantities exceeding 20-30 g per day. Selenium is also found in Greek nuts, peanuts, coconuts.
This trace element can also be scooped from chicken eggs, chicken breast, cheese. If you prefer a vegetarian diet, look for selenium in olives and olive oil, bran, brewer's yeast, wheat germ, raw rice and flour, beans, ceps, garlic and cereals.
Overdose
But before we say what products contain selenium, we should tell that selenium is still toxic, but only in doses exceeding the norm. Selenium from food products can not be poisoned, because your body will stop you if you go to the maximum.
Where does the deficit come from?
50 years ago no one spoke of the super importance of selenium for our body, nor of its deficiency. The answer is simple: people notice that something is missing when it no longer exists. Until quite recently the soil was saturated with selenium, and today the fertile layer of the earth is depleted and there is a need to make up selenium fertilizers, which do not enrich their food at all.