What are the benefits of selenium (Dr Holly on NFTS)

Last Update: April 15, 2022 at 5:47 pm

DATE: April 13/22

 

SOURCE:  NFTS

 

What are the benefits of selenium

 

by Dr Holly

HEARD WEEKLY ON NEWS FOR THE SOUL RADIO

Wednesdays at NOON PST  / 3PM EST – The Whole Health Initiative with Dr Holly  – An NFTS Global Luminary  broadcasting from Canada since March 2014 –   Dr Holly is a Doctor of Natural Medicine, a scientist, a professional speaker, an author of Cancer: Why what you don’t know about your treatment could harm you and 12 other books and a practitioner.  As a Doctor of Natural Medicine with 7 degrees & 3 designations in a wide range of healing modalities and 20 years experience, she can assist you in identifying and understanding your path to health. She can identify your underlying life themes, coping mechanisms, value systems and defense mechanisms to understanding the physiology and biochemistry and energy patterns of your body.  She has a mobile health clinic that comes to your door and can assess 1000s of variables in front of you AND create a protocol unique to you.  In addition, she provides consultation for physicians and clients around the world.   SEE PROFILE >

 

Apparently my articles keep disappearing off the newsforthesoul.com website. So we are going to spend the next while focusing on nutrients, their benefits, and foods to find them. 

Let’s start with selenium.

We have often talked of the many benefits of magnesium and how most people are deficient in magnesium. It is depleted in the soils, so it is depleted in the plants, and therefore animals. 

Magnesium is used for over 380 processes in just a basic cell. It is used 180 times in the process of making ATP (the fuel that the mitochondria make).

But there are many other essential minerals that we need as well, including selenium. 

It is considered to be a trace mineral, like many minerals in our bodies, but it has a big impact. 

  1. It works with Vit C not only to support/protect the immune system but to work as a more effective antioxidant
  2. It connects with Vit E, allowing Vit E to become an even more powerful antioxidant
  3. It also supports the cellular processes to help the cells create glutathione – which is a compound involved in more processes than any other compound in the body
  4. It is vital to thyroid functioning – works with the iodin to protect and support production of the thyroid hormones T3 & T4 – the thyroid contains the highest concentration of selenium

What happens when our selenium levels drop?

  1. Due to less antioxidants in the system, increased free radicals can start to provoke issues.  Free radicals attach a variety of compounds in the body causing all kinds of issues

Cancer 

Dementias including Alzheimer’s

Heart disease

Strokes 

  1. Thyroid issues and symptoms – is associated with both hypo and hyper thyroid syndromes 

Anemia 

Auto immune disease 

Damage to nerves

Damage to the muscular system

Decreased sperm count

Digestive issues

Hair loss

Hypothyroidism – put you on Synthroid

Liver damage – only test for 8 enzymes despite the liver processing over 500 functions

Scaly skin

Thyroid issues start to emerge resulting in

Tiredness, fatigue

Thin, brittle hair

Weak immune system

 

  1. Low levels are selenium are associated with heart disease and an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. One reason may be because high levels of selenium are associated with lower levels of inflammation, which can cause plaquing in the blood vessels putting extra strain on the heart. Increasing selenium, lowers inflammation (lower levels of C-Reactive protein aka CRP) and lowers risk of both heart attacks and strokes.

 

  1. Selenium works to protect cancers from developing. Perhaps because selenium helps glutathione repair DNA damage. When DNA is damaged, cells cannot replicate properly, apoptosis (preprogrammed cellular death) is turned off and the cancer cells continue to replicate and replicate without dying. Glutathione is a huge component in protecting us from damaged DNA, especially in the replicative process. So without selenium we are more susceptible to cancers.

 

  1. In addition, antioxidants are known as weapons that fight cancer. Selenium is an antioxidant and it important in the cellular creation of the most powerful anti-oxidant, glutathione.  With lower levels of selenium, we make less glutathione and are more open to DNA damage.

 

  1. Selenium supports the immune system in a variety of ways. We have already seen how selenium reduces inflammation, and inflammation is a part of the immune system. We have seen how it operates as an antioxidant and thus helps eliminate free radicals thus supporting the immune system functions. This allows the immune system to focus more on protecting us from disease, infection and autoimmune issues. Without selenium our immune system deteriorates. 

 

  1. Selenium is important to the reproductive system (it is found in the sperm mitochondria). In women, it reduces the risk of miscarriages. In men, it enhances the sperm motility and the blood flow. 

 

  1. Low levels of selenium can also result in asthma symptoms. For instance, asthma is associated with both allergens and bronchial inflammation which causes constriction and/or spasms (coughing, shortness of breath and wheezing).  Steroids are not good for the health. However, since selenium has reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, it helps to lessen the symptoms. 

 

Selenium is found in what foods: 

Many studies have shown that food with high levels of selenium is more effective than supplements, so lets look at foods for selenium. 

Foods you might to buy

  • Baked beans
  • Bananas
  • Beef 
  • Chicken, turkey 
  • Cottage cheese
  • Dairy: milk, yogurt
  • Eggs
  • Fish – especially yellowfin tuna, sardines, oysters, clams, halibut, shrimp, salmon, crab
  • Lentils 
  • Mushrooms 
  • Nuts – Brazil nuts and cashews
  • Pork – ham has a high content, despite its difficulty with digestion

Foods you can grow – making sure they have high nutrient value and no toxicity

If you have a hobby farm – chicken, turkey and eggs, dairy and yogurt

If you have a vegetable garden – lentils and mushrooms, spinach, sunflower seeds

What destroys selenium in our the commercial growing of foods

  • Evaporation
  • Pesticides
  • pH of our soils
  • Rain
  • Soil pathogens

What destroys selenium in our bodies

  • Dialysis
  • HIV
  • Gut issues like Crohn’s disease

So now it is up to you. You can reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, heart and lung issues while improving your thyroid and immune functioning by including some of these foods in your regular diet.

In addition, there are a number of foods you can grow in your own gardens, in pots on your deck, etc to make sure you get a good supply of selenium.

References: 

https://thenutritionwatchdog.com/seven-amazing-benefits-of-the-super-mineral-selenium/?utm_source=mg&utm_campaign=selenium 

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-health-foods-harmful-in-large-amounts#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2 

 

Wednesdays at NOON PST  / 3PM EST – The Whole Health Initiative with Dr Holly  – An NFTS Global Luminary  broadcasting from Canada since March 2014 –   Dr Holly is a Doctor of Natural Medicine, a scientist, a professional speaker, an author of Cancer: Why what you don’t know about your treatment could harm you and 12 other books and a practitioner.  As a Doctor of Natural Medicine with 7 degrees & 3 designations in a wide range of healing modalities and 20 years experience, she can assist you in identifying and understanding your path to health. She can identify your underlying life themes, coping mechanisms, value systems and defense mechanisms to understanding the physiology and biochemistry and energy patterns of your body.  She has a mobile health clinic that comes to your door and can assess 1000s of variables in front of you AND create a protocol unique to you.  In addition, she provides consultation for physicians and clients around the world.   SEE PROFILE >