How To Eat More Selenium

Selenium is an important, but often overlooked mineral. It’s taken for granted because traces of this mineral are naturally occurring in so many foods, and only about 90 micrograms are necessary for daily minimum intake. Many types of nuts, as well as beans, fish, turkey, pork, and pasta are all rich sources of this mineral. Unless you’re on a diet that is severely restrictive of food choices, it is unlikely that you will be lacking in the selenium required for your healthy diet.

Root vegetables provide a rich source of selenium as long as the soil in which they’re grown is also rich in selenium. For instance, the soil in China is lacking in selenium, and Keshan disease, accounting for quite a bit of childhood illness and death in that country, had been a problem in China before the cause was isolated. The soil in the United States is rich in selenium, so this disease has never been a problem in this country.

For couples having problems with conception, it may be wise to take a closer look into the absorption of selenium in the male partner’s bloodstream. Even though he may be taking in the right amounts and eating more selenium in his diet, if he is not absorbing the mineral, this can be problematic for conception since the mineral has been known to increase the production of sperm and to improve the activity of sperm which makes it more viable as it travels through the track where it unites with the ovaries. When looking into problems with contraception, the lack of selenium in the male partner’s diet is one that should always be considered as a possibility.

In the event that you are lacking this mineral, you can take supplements, but it is not advised that you do so without the advice of a health practitioner, and preferably a nutritional health practitioner. You can also overdose by eating more selenium than is necessary over a period of time, especially if you’re ingesting selenium through a pill supplement rather than food. In this case, the problem is known as selenosis, and can be characterized by hair loss and nail abnormalities.