How can selenium help me?

It’s a coenzyme, a helper enzyme that’s involved in about 25 different proteins. It’s also a very powerful antioxidant that’s involved with glutathione, another powerful antioxidant. So if there are too many heavy metals, chemicals, or sugars destroying your brain or nervous system, as can happen with diabetes, glutathione protects those tissues. Selenium is important for diabetics. It can improve insulin resistance. It’s also good for your heart.

It prevents oxidation and helps rid your body of the hydrogen peroxide it makes.

You need selenium for your thyroid, to convert T4 (the inactive form of thyroid hormone) to T3 (the active form) and thus to what’s called reverse T3. It’s also involved in the detoxification of mercury. Salmon can contain mercury but it also contains selenium which will help alleviate it. It’s an anti-inflammatory and can reduce the risk of male infertility.

If you have the thyroid autoimmune condition called Hashimoto, selenium can help decrease the antibodies to your thyroid by about 21 percent. Good sources of selenium include: Brazil nuts has the most selenium Tuna Halibut Sardines Salmon Organ meat Meat Eggs