2023-08-31 22:00:51
The body only needs the trace element selenium in tiny amounts, but it is indispensable. It is mainly stored in the muscles. But what role does it play in the organism? And what curious symptom indicates excess?
The Swedish chemist Jakob Berzelius first described the chemical element selenium in 1818. He named it after the Greek moon goddess Selene. Little by little, scientists discovered the properties and functions of the rare substance for industry and medicine. Selenium functions in our body as an essential component of various enzymes. Some of them serve to protect against pollutants. In addition, selenium-containing enzymes help with sperm production and activate thyroid hormones.
With a balanced diet, an adult consumes around 70 micrograms of selenium per day. About 90 percent of selenium from organic sources such as meat, fish or cereals enters the bloodstream via the intestinal mucosa. Inorganic selenium passes the intestinal barrier a little worse. With a normal selenium status, 13 to 20 milligrams of selenium circulate in the body. The muscles serve as the main storage for the trace element.
Who can lack selenium
Vegetarians should keep an eye on their selenium levels and supplement selenium if necessary. Also at risk of deficiency are people with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, with artificial feeding via tube, after a stomach reduction and dialysis patients. Some drugs are suspected of reducing selenium levels. This applies, for example, to the antiepileptic drug valproic acid or the cancer drug cisplatin.
As the deficiency shows
Selenium deficiency leads to rather ambiguous symptoms: brittle hair and nails, later muscle weakness and susceptibility to infections. An existing iodine deficiency can be exacerbated by a low selenium status, which in turn impairs thyroid function. Men produce less sperm. Two diseases can be traced back to a permanent undersupply and sometimes occur in East Asia: Firstly, Keshan disease, a rare disease of the heart muscle. It got its name from an area in China that is particularly low in selenium. On the other hand, it is about Kaschin-Beck disease, a deficiency-related underdevelopment of bones and joints in children. Researchers have been conducting scientific studies for a number of years to understand the link between selenium and various diseases. However, the administration of selenium to prevent cancer, thyroid diseases and cardiovascular disorders produced very different results, so that there is no recommendation for basic selenium supplementation. Some studies even showed that the risk of diabetes increased with a daily intake of 200 micrograms of selenium. With a wholesome diet, a healthy adult reaches the daily requirement of 60 micrograms (women) or 70 micrograms (men) without supplements. If there is a need to take dietary supplements with selenium, be sure to pay attention to the selenium content. Doctors and pharmacists advise on this.
Do not overdose on selenium
The Federal Office for Risk Assessment mentions 300 micrograms of selenium per day as a just about harmless amount. This includes intake from food. As always, the dose makes the poison. Anyone who takes too much selenium for a long time runs the risk of developing selenosis. As with the deficiency, the excess first shows up in hair and nails. In addition, gastrointestinal complaints occur, neurological changes up to heart attacks and kidney failure in exceptionally severe cases. Finally, the solution to the initial question: the smell of garlic in the breath is the characteristic symptom that indicates an excess of selenium.
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