Selenium A Powerful Antioxidant

Selenium is micromineral and powerful antioxidant that protects your body from harmful free radicals. It also operates in the protective ability of the body. In this article I will discuss this nutrient in more detail and give you a summary of the main functions, the best food sources, recommended daily allowances (RDAs) and the potentially harmful effects of drinking too much or too little.

1) DISCOVERY:

Selenium was discovered in 1818 in two Swedish chemist Jons Jakob Berzelius and JG Gahn who have studied the chemical within sulfuric acid. During the study, they found that the chemicals contained a new element that has become known as selenium.

2) Function:

3) RDA:

Must consume more selenium as you get older. Children aged between 0 and 6 months is recommended to consume 0.015 milligrams (mg) of this nutrient each day. This requirement is increased to 0.04mg per day for children aged between 9 and 13.RDA for adults aged 14 years and older was 0.055mg per upper limit (TUL) for this nutrient is 0.4mg a day.

4) Food sources:

Nuts and fish are two of the best food selenium. Some of the richest sources of Brazil nut (1.92mg per 100g), mixed nuts (0.42mg per 100g), salmon (0.038mg per 100g) and shrimp (0.048mg per 100 g ).

5) Overdose Symptoms:

6) Deficiency symptoms:

Dietary selenium deficiencies are very rare and usually seen only in countries where the soil has a very low concentration of selenium. Intravenous feeding and serious gastrointestinal problems can also cause. Symptoms include lack of Kashin-Beck disease (bone and joint disorders), Keshan disease (heart disorder), Myxedematous endemic cretinism (a disease that causes mental retardation) and osteoarthritis (a chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints ).

Should We Be Taking Antioxidant Supplements?

Due to the strong correlation between oxidative stress and aging, as well as a number of age-related diseases, it makes perfect sense to target free radicals as a means to slow aging. Almost all anti-aging strategy for the past 30 years have included high doses of antioxidants as a central ingredient.

The problem is that although the idea of antioxidants is a sound, long-term effects on health and longevity has yet to realize or understand.

Unambiguously, a diet naturally high in antioxidants can extend life ii reduce the effects of aging and done for centuries. However, with few exceptions, clinical trials with antioxidant supplements showed no advantage of food sources. Indeed some antioxidants have been proven to be harmful to human health.

First, the antioxidants commonly used in clinical trials (vitamins A, C, E and carotene) are not very selective in their actions and other effects on the human body, especially in large doses. Some may actually generate free radicals!

Second, most studies were not specifically conducted in individuals with high levels of oxidative stress. It is possible that participants in these experiments had used only because of reduced antioxidant defense was not their problem.

Thirdly, it is possible that other components of the diet naturally rich in antioxidants contribute to their benefits. This may involve a number of polyphenols and put intermediates, such as lycopenes. May it also be that different dietary elements have a greater impact when combined together. Indeed, one of the fundamental principles of traditional medicine is that the complex conditions best manage complex medication. To capture the different defenses and safeguards, "brew" often contains excerpts from a variety of sources. In the same way, the health benefits of tomatoes more than the sum of its lycopenes. Citrus is not only vitamin C, and rutin, bioflavonoids and other antioxidant variety of other ingredients.

Finally, it may be too much to ask that the amendment would in any cell, and especially every mitochondria of each cell, to reduce levels of ROS. Neither vitamin A, C and E actually inhibits the production of ROS. They just clean up after the fact, and by then the damage May have already done or molecules are formed that are immune to the cleansing effects of these antioxidants. For this purpose, more specific interventions to reduce the radicals, such as selenium supplements, may prove more useful than non-specific 'after' vultures.

Later we will look in detail at the most common antioxidants that are available as supplements and the evidence for and against his actions to slow aging. No information available about where the best of these many antioxidants when taken as a supplement. Each of these will have its fans. It is possible that, like computers, we'll kick for not investing earlier. Likewise, a May turn out to be a waste of money.