What foods contain selenium

For the normal functioning of the human body needs a lot of nutrients and beneficial trace elements. Among them, it is worth highlighting selenium, since it is one of the components of hormones and enzymes important for health. What foods contain selenium? Let's understand this question.

What are the beneficial properties of selenium for humans?

Lack of selenium leads to serious problems in the work of the internal organs, since the human immunity weakens and the body is unable to resist viral infections. Selenium is an antioxidant that prevents viruses from escaping from infected cells and spreading throughout the body.

If the level of selenium in the body is normal, then it helps prevent the development of pathologies such as:

• spinal arthritis;
• pancreatitis;
• multiple atherosclerosis, etc.

Selenium has a positive effect on the growth and strengthening of the human hair and nail plate. Scientists have determined that it is also able to block the rapid spread of the AIDS virus.

Selenium is widely used in cosmetology, because it slows down the aging process.

The benefits of this antioxidant are obvious, and now you need to find out what foods contain selenium in the quantity necessary for humans.

Foods rich in selenium

Making the right diet is easy, because selenium is found in many foods. They are rich in vegetables, seafood, cereals, meat and nuts.

Most selenium is found in seafood, such as:

• squid;
• lobsters;
• shrimp;
• langusts and others

These foods contain the daily rate of selenium for humans. It is clear that to include in the daily diet seafood is not easy, and expensive. However, experts still recommend from time to time to use them. By the way, sea salt is also very rich in selenium. On sale is edible sea salt, and it can be replaced with the usual cook when cooking.

Meat foods also contain selenium, and not in smaller quantities than seafood. So, especially useful for the body are pig and beef kidneys, ventricles, heart.

Untreated cereals also contain a sufficient amount of selenium. These include:

• bran;
• sprouted grains;
• wholemeal flour.

An interesting fact is that the whole handful of cornflakes will provide the body with the necessary daily intake of selenium.

To be healthy and attractive to look, it is necessary to include nuts in your diet. They are saturated with selenium and other beneficial trace elements. But the fair sex adhering to the diet, with nuts should be more careful because they contain a large amount of fat.

And of course, it is worth mentioning dairy products that are rich in selenium. It is known that breast milk is very saturated with this useful element, and its lack may cause the development of a number of pathologies in a child.

Selenium content in fruits and vegetables

If we talk about the content of selenium in vegetables and fruits, then it is worth noting that few of them are saturated with this element. This is due to the fact that plants can be enriched with selenium only from fertile soil, and if it is often fertilized and treated with various chemical solutions, then, accordingly, the percentage of micronutrients becomes much lower. That is why it is almost impossible to find plant-type products rich in selenium. By the way, during the heat treatment of vegetables, selenium is destroyed.

And what should those who do not eat meat do? There is an exit, of course. Eat garlic. However, it is the fresh product that is rich in selenium, and if garlic is added when cooking stewed or fried foods, its useful properties are lost.

People suffering from a deficiency of selenium, it is recommended to use as a food additive brewer's yeast, which they buy at the pharmacy.

Selenium in food

Daily rate of selenium

Of course, everything is good in moderation, and oversaturation of the body with selenium also negatively affects health, as does its deficiency. An excess of selenium can cause the formation of cancer cells. That is why you need to clearly know the amount of permissible daily consumption of selenium. So, the average rates are:

• for an adult - 90-200 mcg;
• for women in the period of carrying a baby - 140-400 mcg;
• for athletes - up to 1200 mcg.

Symptoms of deficiency and excess of selenium in the human body

With a deficiency of selenium in humans, the following symptoms are observed:

• decreased performance;
• development of skin pathologies;
• hormonal disorders;
• disruptions in the menstruation cycle (in women);
• problems with potency (in men).

When the human body is oversaturated with selenium, it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• fragility of the nail plate;
• skin peeling;
• nausea.

By the way, an excess of selenium in the body can only be due to the intake of special preparations containing it. You can check the level of selenium in the clinic.

Summing up, I would like to remind you that his health depends on a person. Adhere to proper nutrition and lifestyle, undergo preventive medical examinations, take care of yourself. be healthy