Take action earlier to be able to improve your health and overall wellbeing. Selenium deficiency occurs due to an insufficient dietary intake of selenium. Rainfall, evaporation, and pH levels all affect selenium concentration in soil. Eating foods grown in selenium-poor soil or even digestive and intestinal ailments, such as celiac disease, can contribute to selenium deficiency. It’s worth remembering the fact that selenium helps to create glutathione peroxidase, an essential antioxidant. You’ll be alerted if this comes up. 2. Selenium is mostly found in the form of selenoproteins which have multifunctional role. This micronutrient can help mitigate thyroid disease symptoms. This makes sense when you consider the type of food they are and the signs of deficiency. However, a deficiency in Vitamin E can cause the same symptoms. Certain regions (especially in China and Russia) have very low availability in soil. This is often a side effect of being tired so this sign of selenium deficiency could be linked to that. The truth is that a normal and healthy diet is the best thing for your immune system. One reason could be due to an infection or other medical condition. All Rights Reserved.Important Disclaimer: The information contained on Positive Health Wellness is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Making changes to your diet will help avoid a deficiency. Selenium deficiencies may also cause horses to “tie-up” due to rhabdomyolysis (frequently accompanied by dark urine).. Less severe but important symptoms include poor coat and hoof quality, muscle soreness, decreased performance, or decreased fertility.. Correcting Selenium Deficiency in Horses. People may not find the selenium element in many food labels. Selenium deficiencies may also cause horses to “tie-up” due to rhabdomyolysis (frequently accompanied by dark urine). Selenium Deficiency Symptom: You're gaining weight. If you think you may have a selenium deficiency, work with your doctor to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms. We’ve mentioned it in passing. Beef cattle only require 0.1 parts per million (ppm) of Se in the total diet (not the mineral supplement). This article reviews whether mayo is safe when…, Apples are highly nutritious, but you may wonder whether they can really keep the doctor away. Clinical Signs of Selenium and Vitamin E Deficiency Selenium Deficiency in Calves. You can also get it from grass-fed animals, chicken, and turkey. Here are 10 signs and symptoms of…. Selenium makes heavy metals less toxic. If you don’t have another medical issue that can compromise the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, you will want to focus on a healthy and balanced diet. This is because there isn’t a widely available test for it. The thyroid, part of the endocrine system, is the organ with the highest concentration of selenium per weight of organ tissue. With selenium deficiency, the bed of your fingernails will start to change color. But it also causes serious issues like infertility and may even amplify the effect of … The deficiency can also affect the turnover rate of certain neurotransmitters ().In patients with Alzheimer’s, selenium concentration was found to be only 60% of that of healthy individuals ().Glutathione peroxidases, the important enzymes associated with selenium, are predominantly present in the brain. 10 Signs and Symptoms of Iodine Deficiency, The 11 Most Nutrient-Dense Foods on the Planet, How to Identify and Treat a Vitamin E Deficiency, Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT, How Cooking Affects the Nutrient Content of Foods. The most common selenium deficiency symptoms include: 1. reproductive issues 2. muscle weakness 3. fatigue 4. brain fog 5. thyroid dysfunction 6. mood-related issues including depressed mood, anxiety and hostile behaviors 7. hair loss 8. weak, brittle nails 9. susceptibility due to illnesses due to a weakened immune system 10. confusion and cognitive changes Having low selenium status is also correlated with an increased risk of some hea… For optimal health, it is a good idea to choose the foods that contain the most nutrients. Aims: Severe deficiency of the essential trace element selenium can cause myocardial dysfunction although the mechanism at cellular level is uncertain. Learn how mineral deficiency occurs and how it’s treated. A 2011 review suggests that there may even be a link between selenium deficiency and certain types of cancer. In certain areas of China, where intake averages 10 to 15 mcg/day, selenium deficiency predisposes patients to Keshan disease, an endemic viral cardiomyopathy affecting primarily children and young women. And the side effects of low-grade selenium toxicity, or selenium overdose, can be difficult to identify and may actually mimic some of the same side effects as selenium deficiency. The more severe the deficiency and the more intense the horse’s training, the more noticeable the symptoms. This is extremely important for the energy levels. You should aim to get 60mcg of selenium a day, according to the United Kingdom. Understand more selenium deficiency symptoms now. In men, being selenium deficient may bring on mortality of sperm. It sounds more like being a parent at times, right? For women who are pregnant or lactating, this increases to 70 mcg. Difficulties in conceiving and lower sperm quality and motility may be associated with poor levels of selenium in the body. Selenium deficiency can cause nonspecific symptoms like fatigue and brain fog. Many multivitamins contain selenium, but you can also find it as a standalone product. Signs of Deficiency and Toxicity Deficiency. However, an estimated 1 billion people around the world are affected by selenium deficiency, according to a 2017 review. Tuna and cod are often recommended to help with the brain health, due to the amount of omega 3 fatty acids. Those with two A alleles at rs1050450 of GPX1 may be at more risk for cancer , cardiovascular disease and a form of anemia (called hemolytic anemia) that arises when the red blood cells break down due to overwhelming damage. If you are suffering from any of the signs of selenium deficiency, you should discuss things with your doctor. If you run low, you may suffer from symptoms of hypothyroidism, one of which is hair loss. The United States says 55mcg is the recommended amount. An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away — Fact or Fiction? The most likely symptoms of selenium deficiency you’ll see in affected sheep are white muscle disease (WMD), weaner ill thrift, lowered wool production in weaners and ewe infertility. This enzyme needs selenium to function properly, and low enzyme levels may suggest low selenium. We all shed some hair and skin on a daily basis. It is also a common sign of a thyroid problem, anemia, and a deficiency in B vitamins. You may never have heard of selenium before, but it is an antioxidant that the body needs. This is an enzyme that requires selenium to function. Selenium Neither do the negative health impacts of selenium deficiency. This would initially seem like a condition within itself, but did you know that hypothyroidism could be because of a selenium deficiency. Symptoms of a thyroid problem include these signs and symptoms: 11. If you are allergic to nuts, don’t worry. What are the main symptoms of a selenium deficiency? Taking high doses of manganese for long periods of time might cause muscle pain, nerve damage and other symptoms, such as fatigue and depression. Symptoms of selenium deficiency vary greatly and often go unnoticed. The signs depend on the muscles affected. Studies have shown a reduction in the likes of lung, colon and bladder cancer. The maximum tolerable level of selenium … Selenium deficiency in patients with severely impaired intestinal function and under TPN: Patients suffering from severe diseases of intestines like Crohn's disease, celiac disease, intestinal TB and ulcerative colitis have their intestinal absorption highly compromised. Another group of patients at risk for selenium toxicity is thyroid patients. Selenium deficiency occurs very rarely, because the body needs only very small amounts of it. You also become more irritable, and it can severely affect your social life. Chronic deficiency of selenium can cause Keshan Disease with symptoms of enlarged heart. High amounts of selenium are especially found in nuts, specifically Brazil nuts. They are full of protein and healthy fatty goodness. Using a double-blind cross-over design, 50 subjects received either a placebo or 100 mcg selenium on a daily basis. Thyroid issues can lead to low energy levels. To give you an idea, here are a few common signs to look out for: shedding hair (large lumps) discolouration of the nails and skin Hypothyroidism is the medical name given to an under active thyroid. Cardiomegaly, congestive heart failure and development of arrhythmias are documented in these patients [15]. Less severe but important symptoms include poor coat and hoof quality, muscle soreness, decreased performance, or decreased … If you don’t want to eat meat, then just two Brazil nuts a day will give you your intake for the day! It helps to reduce oxidative stress, which means that more oxygenated blood can get around the body. When you take in more selenium, you can reverse the condition. Unless you have an underlying health condition, developing a vitamin E deficiency in a developed country is rare. It’s often due to the inability to absorb nutrients from the food that we eat. For example, the poor liver function can lead to a yellowy tinge to the skin, called jaundice. Selenium deficiency may be associated with muscular weakness, fatigue and male infertility. This symptom can lead to depression, which can have further problems on your health. Selenium Deficiency Symptom: Your body is under a lot of stress Selenium is a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant. Selenium is essential for thyroid hormone synthesis and metabolism. The World Health Organization has a crazy complicated system that takes in numerous considerations, but the recommendations from health professionals around the world are standardized for the average healthy female. However, you can eat too much, so try not to go over by much more! Its daily requirement to human body is minimal however excessive amount may lead to selenium toxicity. Selenium is thought of as a trace or micromineral in beef cattle diets. Many doctors will treat the condition because it is serious. It is usually easy to find by running blood tests to see if you are deficient in any nutrients. More research is being done in other , especially ovarian and breast cancers. Selenium deficiency might also influence cognitive functioning, but again, more research is needed in this area. These include the endocrine, immune, and cardiovascular systems. Selenium Deficiency Symptoms: Severely Dehydrated Patients. A calculation of total selenium intake per day, along with symptoms, will further support the diagnosis. Research has shown that by taking more selenium can help to boost the immunity while it is low to fight off further problems. Selenium deficiency may work with iodine deficiency to cause a goiter and an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) in people who have both deficiencies. Anything over 900 mcg per day can be toxic. Other symptoms associated with selenium deficiency include muscle weakness, heart problems, muscle wasting and reoccurring illnesses such as the flu. This will bring up all issues, including selenium. If you’re having trouble conceiving, you may want to consider this deficiency as a problem first before worrying. Please consult a healthcare practitioner before making changes to your diet or taking supplements that may interfere with medications.All writing and content on Positive Health Wellness is simply the opinion of the author and should not be treated as professional medical advice.Positive Health Wellness is participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Remember that the selenium helps with the energy levels. Excessive use of selenium supplements has been linked to squamous cell skin cancer. This article reviews…. "Oxidative stress causes damage to cells throughout your body. Brittle Nails - Selenium toxicity can cause changes to your nail … Chronic selenium deficiency has been linked to mental retardation, heart disease, cancer, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis 3. The possibility that a subclinical deficiency of the trace element selenium might exist in a sample of the British population was examined by giving a selenium supplement for 5 weeks. Talk to your doctor before you begin taking a selenium supplement. Depending on the severity of the deficiency, your veterinarian may decide to administer injectable selenium or simply increase the quantity of selenium in the diet. Selenium is also necessary for the conversion of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) into its more active counterpart triiodothyronine (T3), and as such a deficiency can cause symptoms of hypothyroidism, including extreme fatigue, mental slowing, goiter, cretinism, and recurrent miscarriage. The use of certain foods or ingredients can cause the nails to change color. Other parts of your skin can start to change color, leading to pigmentation issues. Selenium deficiency can produce a range of symptoms. Symptoms Selenium Deficiency | Selenium is a trace element that acts as an antioxidant in the body. Tuna, cod, eggs, and liver have all been found full of selenium. Remember that your thyroid is in charge of producing hormones and this deficiency affects that. By making a few changes and causing some deficiencies, you will see a drop in your immunity. This white color won’t grow upwards with the nail and is usually actually within the bed and the skin around it. Selenium deficiency is rare, even in New Zealand and Finland, where selenium intake is 30 to 50 mcg/day, compared with 100 to 250 mcg/day in the US and Canada. That being said, if you’ve had your hair up for a few days, you’ll find more fallout than just in one day because you’re losing a couple of days’ worth of hair. Hair or nail samples can also be taken, which gives an indication of long-term selenium status. Another test a healthcare professional can carry out is to test one’s levels of glutathione peroxidase or other selenoproteins that need selenium to function at an optimum level. The amount of selenium found in food sources is based on the quality of the soil used to grow them. Once again, your thyroid's thirst for selenium may play a … Just be sure that your dose isn't too high or you may cause the same problem. Selenium deficiency has been found to cause depressive mood and hostile behavior. Hair loss is also an age-related problem. If you repaired the deficiency, you could find that your thyroid problems reverse on their own and there is no need to be on medication for the rest of your life. That same review predicts that the effects of climate change will gradually decrease soil selenium concentrations in many parts of the world, including the Southwestern United States. This is more common in HIV patients and those with  Crohn’s disease who suffer from digestive problems. It is estimated that around 1 billion people worldwide are affected by selenium deficiency [1], making selenium-deficiency a common occurrence. © 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. By not meeting your body’s selenium demands, you run the risk of developing a sluggish thyroid, leading to hypothyroidism or goiter. One of the most important things on selenium’s to-do list: help convert your T4 thyroid hormone into the more active form called T3, explains Small. Yes, you’ve heard it all before, but it really is the best way to get good amounts of selenium and many other vitamins and minerals. [7] Even if people live in areas with lower-selenium soil, the transport of food across the region as well as the use of fortified foods and supplements reduce the risk of deficiency. The amount of selenium in food sources is largely determined by the quality of the soil used to grow them. Between 10% to 40% of animals die of this condition (Andrews A. H., 1992). Learn about conditions linked to selenium deficiency, such as Keshan disease and Kashin-Beck disease, as well as toxicity symptoms, such as hair and nail loss, in this lesson. Just two will give you the recommended daily intake. It is important to understand where selenium comes from, what it does and when it is appropriate to add to your horse’s diet. States with high selenium levels in their soil need to be careful dosing their goats with selenium-containing products. If your level is low, you may not have enough selenium. Selenium supplements usually come in the form of either selenomethionine or selenite. Signs that you have a selenium deficiency . 69 This has been named as the Keshan disease due to the geographical prevalence of a specific form of dilated cardiomyopathy in northeast China, in which the soil has a low selenium content. Now that you know eight of the big signs, you can start looking at ways to avoid having a selenium deficiency completely. Some of the severe symptoms are: kidney failure, breathing difficulties and heart trouble. This article takes a close look at the old proverb and…, Fish sauce is a popular ingredient in many dishes, but if you're out or don't like the taste, there are plenty of alternatives. The cold is less likely to lead to more serious ailments, which can make asthma worse. If you already have an ailment, your doctor will also want to rule that out. This could be due to the body being able to fight off other infections. Neither do the negative health impacts of selenium deficiency. It doesn’t change the fact that the mineral is a vital nutrient. In men, it can lead to poor swimmers. It’s perfectly normal to see some hair loss or skin shedding. These eight are among the most common that you need to be aware of. Unexplained weight gain can be indicative of an individual affected by selenium deficiency. You shouldn’t lose large clumps on a daily basis. Men may find that they produce plenty of sperm, but the sperm can’t swim that well. It doesn’t change the fact that the mineral is a vital nutrient. More research is needed in this, which is why this has not been included in medical treatments when it comes to asthma patients. Selenium deficiency in goats can cause White Muscle Disease also known as Nutritional Muscular Dystrophy. Selenium Deficiency in Thyroid Patients. Some health articles may not discuss it. They want you to have a healthy pregnancy the next time and will take steps to check any deficiencies. You’ll find your concentration lagging or find it difficult to remember the smaller things. Or just being so drained from work that you can’t function properly. SYMPTOMS OF SELENIUM DEFICIENCY Many horses with slight-to-moderate deficiencies are asymptomatic. You may also want to consider increasing the amount of selenium that you have in your diet to see if there are any positive changes. … This includes problems with concentration, difficulty with focusing on a task or thought, short-term memory problems, and a general lack of mental clarity. When you experience unwanted weight gain, you'll want to get to the root cause. “The supplementation rate for selenium is generally 1 … When you start showing the symptoms of selenium deficiency, the best thing you can do is add foods that are high in it to your diet. The factors that affect the selenium concentration in soil includes rainfall, evaporation and pH levels. Some health articles may not discuss it. When you get enough, your body will get the energy that it needs for physical and mental needs. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The studies showed that the actual selenium was better than the placebo. The most common ones are: infertility in men and women; muscle weakness; fatigue; mental fog; hair loss; weakened immune system Selenium deficiency can be diagnosed with a blood test, which means recent selenium intake. Antioxidants are linked to boosting the immune system while fighting free radicals that lead to cancer and dementia. It is advisable to seek medical attention at the event of unusual fatigue. Because this micronutrient is the essential factor of glutathione peroxidase synthesis and is involved in various metabolic processes, it may predispose individuals to various diseases. Another common problem is that the nails and skin start to change color. You may even find your dates and numbers are muddled, and you have no idea what day you’re on. While the nutrient is important for your thyroid, know that selenium deficiency is fairly rare in the United States, thanks to selenium-rich soil. This typically happens in combination with an iodine deficiency. Whether, in clinical practice, moderate selenium deficiency is associated with worse symptoms and outcome in patients with heart failure is unknown. Selenium Deficiency Symptom: You’re losing your hair. WMD usually displays in lambs up to 3 months of age, but congenital and delayed WMD can also affect your lambs both before and after this time. It may be a symptom of something else. Your brain will be able to function better, releasing the right types of nutrients around your system. Selenium deficiency has been found to cause depressive mood and hostile behavior. However, it’s important to look into the reasons for it. Nevertheless, there are cases when selenium deficiency occurs and the most common result of this condition is Keshan disease, which affects the heart. However, more research is needed to make any firm conclusions. Let's take a look at the top 5 indications you may need to add more foods with selenium, or even supplementation, to your diet. Blood levels of selenium can be increased through supplements or food sources. Here are 8 tasty fish…, Pu-erh tea offers a number of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory-based benefits to help improve overall health and well-being. In certain areas of China, where intake averages 10 to 15 mcg/day, selenium deficiency predisposes patients to Keshan disease, an endemic viral cardiomyopathy affecting primarily children and young women. : selenium deficiency is rare, it can lead to poor swimmers heard this about every single deficiency there... 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