Low population selenium status is associated with increased prevalence of thyroid disease

[helvella]

You may know that I am always cautious about selenium. I fully recognise that adequate selenium is essential. But I always suggest that a low dose is likely able to take most people from inadequate to adequate status. By that I mean 100 or, possibly, 200 micrograms a day - or even lower.

There have been too many papers which identified negative effects from higher dose selenium over long periods.

Low population selenium status is associated with increased prevalence of thyroid disease

Conclusions:

Low selenium status is associated with increased risk of thyroid disease. Increased selenium intake may reduce the risk in areas of low selenium intake which exist not only in China but in many other parts of the world.

Full paper available here:

press.endocrine.org/doi/10....

[Clutter]

Helvella, UK, particularly SE England and Scotland have known to have depleted selenium levels for >25 years. Lots more health implications than thyroid affected by low selenium.

patient.info/doctor/selenium

fwi.co.uk/livestock/uk-soil...

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Clutter]

Clutter,

Spareribs has several times mentioned livestock having selenium in their "licks" in the fields. What we do not get to know is how much selenium actually reaches human meat and dairy consumers.

Marks and Spencer did, for a very brief period, sell tomatoes which had been grown with some selenium supplementation.

(Once upon a time, selenium was used in some electronic components such as rectifiers, and when they burned out they created an awful stench. Don't even get that accidental exposure any more. )