Selenium deficiency

Selenium occurs as an important trace element in humans, animals and some bacteria. It protects the body from attacks, binds heavy metals and has an antioxidant effect. Selenium deficiency can have far-reaching consequences for the body in the long run.

What is Selenium Deficiency?

Selenium is present in various amounts throughout the body. So especially in the tissues and organs. For example, larger amounts of selenium are found in the brain, heart, liver, kidneys and eyes. But the platelets and blood cells are also supplied with selenium in higher doses. At Selenium deficiency A large part of the amount of selenium in the body goes to the organs that support the body's functions.

The trace element is redistributed to, for example, the kidneys, the thyroid and the pancreas. But the reproductive organs and the central nervous system also need a certain amount of selenium in order to work properly. Although it occurs as a trace element in its entirety only in small amounts in the body, it is of great importance in maintaining the body's functions.

It is said not only to protect cells and prevent cancer, but also to have stimulating and anti-inflammatory effects. Deficiency symptoms trigger a reduction in the function of the organ systems for which selenium is essential. The daily selenium requirement that has to be taken in through food is between 30 and 70 micrograms for an adult.

causes

The causes of a selenium deficiency can be very different. If the food is predominantly obtained from soils that are poor in selenium, or if feed animals are not fed enough selenium-containing mineral mixtures, the body often cannot supply a sufficient amount of selenium. It also affects people who have a low-protein diet or who have an increased selenium requirement for various reasons. This is the case from a certain age.

But smokers, kidney patients and cancer patients also need an increased amount of selenium. In the case of a weakened immune system, a higher selenium intake is also useful, as the trace element has important functions in the immune defense. In addition, a reduced absorption of the trace element from food can be the cause of deficiency symptoms. The reason for this is usually physical complaints such as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Symptoms, ailments & signs

Symptoms that suggest selenium deficiency include white spots on your fingernails and pale, flaky skin. Often times, the skin becomes thinner and the hair color can lighten. Joint discomfort and male infertility can also occur. The symptoms are often not very specific.

Due to the wide range of tasks that selenium has in the human body, differentiating it from other diseases is often difficult. The function of the immune system declines in many cases, the body is weakened and the person concerned often becomes ill more quickly. The body's own defenses no longer function adequately. However, liver disorders, thyroid disorders (underactive) and heart muscle disorders have also been observed.

Apart from this, a selenium deficiency in children can block growth and generally increase the frequency of tumor diseases. The first symptoms that arise can be fatigue, difficulty breathing, water retention (edema) and decreased performance.

Apart from that, Keshan's disease and Kashin-Beck's disease have been linked to severe selenium deficiency. Keshan's disease is a heart muscle disease, while Kashin-Beck's disease causes the body to shrink articular cartilage. Some symptoms only occur when a vitamin E deficiency occurs at the same time, provided the selenium deficiency is low.

Diagnosis & course of disease

If you have complaints, it makes sense to consult a doctor. Based on the symptoms and the medical history, this may already be able to make a first guess. After the doctor has carried out a thorough complete examination, he will be able to conclude that there is a deficiency symptom in most cases. The diagnosis is made by taking a blood sample, which a laboratory can use to test for various defects. A decrease in the amount of selenium in the blood supports the diagnosis. The doctor will discuss suitable therapeutic measures with the patient.

Complications

A selenium deficiency leads to the weakening of the entire body. It can lead to hypofunction in the thyroid because selenium is required for the metabolism. When the level is too low, the metabolism in the whole body is reduced.

Selenium also has a great impact on the body's defenses and detoxification. If the selenium level is too low, the body is more prone to bacterial infections and inflammation. The effects are even more far-reaching in terms of white spots on the nails, thin hair or reduced sperm quality. Damage to the liver, nerves and muscles, as well as cardiovascular diseases are also conceivable. Sometimes it comes to the favoring of various cancers in the breast, lungs, intestines, ovaries or prostate.

Headaches, tooth decay and digestive problems can also be caused by a selenium deficiency. During pregnancy, a selenium deficiency in the child can disrupt growth. Animal experiments have shown that this leads to more stillbirths. Pregnancy poisoning (preclampsia) is often associated with low selenium levels.

This can lead to complications in the course of pregnancy and in the puerperium. Selenium is also important for mental wellbeing. People with anxiety, depression and great self-doubt often suffer from a selenium deficiency. A double-blind study showed that subjects who received selenium supplements during the study brightened their mood.

When should you go to the doctor?

A slight selenium deficiency can be compensated for by consuming Brazil nuts, coconuts and eggs. A susceptibility to infection is a typical sign of severe selenium deficiency. Hair loss, dry skin and increasing muscle weakness can also occur. Men can experience infertility. If these symptoms are noticed, a doctor should be consulted. If left untreated, selenium deficiency can cause serious immune and heart complications. People who do not have a balanced diet or who suffer from a severe nutritional deficiency due to an illness should contact the responsible doctor if the symptoms mentioned above occur.

Men suffering from infertility should consider selenium deficiency as a cause. Women and vegetarians or vegans are at increased risk of selenium deficiency. Likewise, smokers, alcoholics and patients with inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease. The doctor can determine the condition with a blood test and prescribe suitable preparations.

Those affected should initiate these measures as early as possible in the first stages of a selenium deficiency. Increasing discomfort and unusual skin or hair changes must always be clarified. It is best for those affected to see their family doctor or a dermatologist. If there is a specific suspicion, the internist is the right contact. If you fast regularly, you should have a routine check-up by your family doctor.

Therapy & Treatment

Treatment of the deficiency depends primarily on the underlying cause. Therefore, the trigger must first and foremost be combated. If the cause is insufficient intake through the diet, it makes sense to change your diet, for example, in order to take up the necessary amount of selenium again. It is also possible to supplement with selenium tablets, whereby the patient should strictly pay attention to the prescribed intake. An overdose of selenium is harmful and can cause poisoning.

In the case of digestive disorders that cause the deficiency, the disease must first be combated. If this is not possible, the person affected should also ensure that they have sufficient selenium intake through their diet or appropriate preparations. Depending on the symptoms and diseases that have occurred, these must be treated. In some cases, such as joint cartilage degradation, the patient and health care professional must take precautions to alleviate the discomfort. Some of the diseases do not go away even with sufficient selenium intake.

prevention

In most cases, a balanced and conscious diet can prevent a selenium deficiency. Those affected who belong to the risk groups should consciously pay attention to sufficient selenium intake and in the best case also find out where the food comes from. In the case of meat and milk, for example, it is possible to ask the suppliers about the feed of the feed animals. Nevertheless, people should never take supplements on suspicion, as selenium poisoning is just as harmful to the body as deficiency.

Aftercare

If the patient has suffered from an acute selenium deficiency, it can be assumed that he will suffer from a deficiency again and again. This is especially true if the triggers were not found. Did the patient eat poorly? Does he have an increased selenium requirement? If so, is it due to a chronic underlying disease, a briefly weakened immune system, or is the patient still smoking?

The patient should ask himself these questions and, based on the answers found, try to avoid a future selenium deficiency in the follow-up. Overall, however, the patient benefits from a switch to an organic diet and the renunciation of stimulants. A healthy, vitamin-rich diet in particular ensures that the damage caused by the previous selenium deficiency can be compensated for and that the immune system can regenerate itself.

Sport is indispensable in this case because it builds up the body as well as the psyche of the patient. Anyone who exercise a lot outdoors activates their immune system and regulates their metabolism. This also combats the susceptibility to infection that was previously associated with the selenium deficiency.

If the hair was also affected by the selenium deficiency, it takes a long time for the damage to be balanced out again and for hair that has fallen out to grow back. Scaly skin, on the other hand, can be nourished relatively quickly to make it supple again. Patients can get advice from a dermatologist here.

You can do that yourself

A selenium deficiency without disease-related causes can be remedied with a tailored diet. Those affected should first find out about the nutrient composition of the soil in their area. If this contains very little selenium, the vegetables from fields in the region also have a low selenium content. As part of a balanced diet, residents have to resort to other sources of soul.

In order to raise the selenium level in a targeted manner, an increased intake of animal protein such as in lamb or beef offal as well as seafood is recommended. Brazil nuts and some types of mushrooms such as mushrooms also have a particularly high selenium content. With a vegetarian diet, those affected can alternatively use plant-based products from areas with a high selenium content in the soil, as well as cheese or eggs as selenium sources of animal origin. The selenium-rich fish types also include tuna, salmon and cod.

If the body's own soul stores are replenished in this way, further focused nutrition or the independent intake of selenium tablets should be avoided. Otherwise, excessive selenium consumption can lead to headaches, hair loss and other complaints. Whether a medication is appropriate can be clarified by visiting a doctor, which is advisable in case of doubt. If the selenium deficiency can be traced back to another underlying disease, the medically prescribed mineral intake by means of tablets can be useful at times.