Is 200 mcg of selenium too much?
The FDA says no.
I personally believe that anyone taking 100 mcg of selenium a day should be on the lookout for side effects.
The problem with using the 200 mcg daily dose is that you have to take 200 mcg every day. And, if you do, you're going to get headaches! I've been doing a lot of research on selenium and all of the research shows that it has very few side effects. Here is one article from the NIH:
Selenium Deficiency Is Not Associated with Lower IQ or Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Abstract. A recent report of a deficiency of selenium in children living in an area with naturally low selenium levels was associated with lower IQ scores, autism, and ADHD. However, the data and conclusions in this study are flawed because of methodological flaws. For example, selenium supplementation improved, but did not restore, neuropsychological test results in patients with previously treated schizophrenia. Several controlled trials of selenium supplementation in children with autism and other neuropsychiatric disorders failed to show efficacy. The data from the aforementioned studies are equivocal, and additional, well-designed studies of the long-term effects of selenium are needed.
Another article that really shows how the 200 mcg daily dose is too much is the following: Selenium Status in Early Childhood: An Overview. Childhood selenium deficiency is an important public health problem and is related to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD. However, the evidence for a selenium deficiency is inconsistent. The prevalence of deficiency is usually determined by evaluating serum selenium, and the cutoffs for adequacy are often inconsistent. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be fed a diet containing 400 g/day selenium to meet the nutrient requirements for children 6-24 months of age, but at least 50% of children older than 1 year of age do not consume sufficient amounts of selenium. Although serum selenium may indicate selenium status, more relevant evidence for selenium status is obtained by examining selenoprotein levels and the prevalence of subclinical disease. These parameters indicate whether adequate amounts of selenium are being consumed and that the selenoproteins are functioning properly.
And then there are two articles that I just found today (October 28th) that really stand out.
How much selenium should a senior take daily?
Selenium is an important mineral and part of the antioxidant complex.
We need selenium for the thyroid and immune system, it also helps us to keep our hair and nails healthy and protects against infections.
Studies have shown that selenium deficiency is linked with conditions such as breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for selenium is 55 mcg a day for adults. Selenium deficiency can occur if you have a selenium-rich diet. However, it can also be due to genetics and if you're taking any medications, such as blood thinners, or if you have liver problems.
There are many different forms of selenium. The best form is called selenomethionine. Selenium is found in a wide variety of foods.
One of the biggest sources is seafood. Other common foods that contain selenium include fish, eggs, wheat germ, and broccoli.
The body needs selenium for thyroid health, fertility, and a strong immune system. Selenium has been shown to be effective for reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. We do recommend that you take selenium daily. This is to help maintain thyroid function, prevent cancer, and support healthy joints.
However, the amount of selenium you need is not much, and it is very important to take it in the right form. Is there a safe selenium supplement? Selenium is a trace mineral. This means that it is not essential for growth, development or the prevention of disease.
However, selenium is important to maintain the health of your thyroid. As with many supplements, it is difficult to know exactly how much selenium is safe for supplementation. It is important to get your selenium from food rather than supplements. Selenium has many benefits and it's good to take it every day. Some people feel fine with low selenium levels. However, it is better to get your selenium from food rather than supplements.
You could try eating oysters, which are a good source of selenium. The best sources of selenium are from seafood, vegetables, and whole grains. How much selenium should I take?
What is the best form of selenium supplement?
There are a number of products available on the market, all containing some form of selenium.
Some contain selenium only while others contain selenium as a supplement in conjunction with other ingredients.
When it comes to selenium, your choices range from the most expensive (which contains many additives) and lowest cost (which usually does not contain any), but the best form of supplement has to be the one that suits your personal health needs. If you need to get in to optimal selenium status, choose a product that contains as little unnecessary additives as possible. On the other hand, if you just want to consume selenium in your daily food, choose a product that is low in cost and is high in nutrients.
A general rule of thumb is that there is no need for supplements at all if you consume all the nutrients you need through your daily food. A study done by the Chinese showed that selenium deficiency did not occur at a daily intake of 3 mcg selenium. If your diet has all the selenium it needs, then why would you need a supplement?
This is similar to the case of omega-3 fatty acids. If you have a healthy diet, you do not need to take supplements. The best forms of selenium and omega-3 fatty acids are foods which are already naturally present in your daily diet.
The form of selenium supplement is determined according to your need. The following chart will tell you which form is best suited for your needs and your health.
Table Of Contents. Forms Of Selenium. Selenium, as an essential micronutrient, can be found in natural food sources like seafoods, poultry, meat, milk, eggs and cereals. The best forms of selenium are the organic forms, as it contains all the elements of selenium and is safe to take. Since it contains all the nutrition, the form of selenium that contains all the nutrients is called the complete form of selenium supplement.
On the other hand, foods that do not have the complete form of selenium supplements are low in nutrition. These are called the non-complete form of selenium supplements.
In either case, the forms of selenium supplements that are manufactured according to the requirements are called the natural forms.
Is it worth taking selenium supplements?
How to use the right products.
A short overview of some supplements I take myself in order to help build immune cells as well as boost memory and cognitive functions. Introduction: You will hear that a lot of different supplements work together or with other specific herbs/precursors/vitamins/foods to help you build up your immune system, brain & memory etc. Sometimes there's a debate going on that it may even be safer not to take specific supplements because they work in conjunction with each other. That would defeat the purpose of comboing together certain herbs.
This post won't aim to address all the combos out there nor will it talk about what combinations will work together for all us in the future. If your goal was to build immunity, then you might be interested to read on which supplements will do it best. But before I continue with my personal experience on just how I built up my own level of energy and memory, here's a couple of links I'd like to share to get you started: How to improve memory function. How to build up the immune system? Which supplements? You might get more value from following these two articles than from reading on combo's below, so hopefully you wont need this one too. The key to this post is that I have tested numerous combinations of these herbs already to know which ones are suited for myself, and which ones would work if you're still wondering if a particular product will benefit you when you decide to finally buy. For instance, I didn't buy a product called Super Immunity Booster but I found it useful for my health reasons. It contained 3 potent herbals that my experience has shown were great for building the immune system, plus I can still remember to add the right amount of other products to it to build my energy levels while giving it a final tweak. I don't need the exact supplement list in this article because I did an advanced version of using a multi-herbal to get the same effect.
So if any of those herbals had a higher price tag then they also would have a better effect and I would consider buying them all again.
Related Answers
Are selenium supplements safe?
The word "selenium" comes from the Latin word "selen", meaning moon, which is in...
How can we use the Selenium tool with HeadSpin?
Selenium is a tool that is used to automate functional testing. There are two types...
What are 5 Uses of Selenium?
Selenium is a web-automation tool that helps you to test web applications....