Why Selenium Is Important For The Immune System And What We Do Differently
As you may remember from our articles on copper, boron or vitamins C & E, antioxidant enzymes are important for the immune system, a long life and a healthy metabolism. Antioxidant enzymes are important for the killing of microbes (which includes bacteria and viruses) (1). Selenium helps produce an antioxidant enzyme, which is why it is deemed essential for the immune system (2). It is well documented that selenium deficiency is associated with higher susceptibility to RNA viral infections (such as COVID-19) and more severe disease outcomes (3). For example, an 80% reduction in the number of deaths from hantavirus was observed with selenium supplementation (4).
A study on AIDS/HIV-related death found an inverse correlation between the death rates and selenium intake, whereby more selenium was related to less death (5). Clinical trials of selenium in AIDS/HIV have found benefits (6) (7) (8) (9).
For COVID-19, a study looking at 17 Chinese cities found that the higher the selenium levels of the population, the faster their recovery rates from the disease were (10). In fact, the city with the highest selenium levels had a three times faster recovery rate (10). This implies having higher than normal selenium levels, may offer more protection from the harmful effects of viral infections (11).
A German study found there was a strong correlation between coronavirus outcome and selenium levels in hospitalized patients. 65% of those who died had low selenium levels compared to 39% of those who survived (12). In our opinion this may not seem like much, but it definitely supports the idea that if one were to have multiple nutrient deficiencies, these could greatly contribute towards a higher risk of death. Elderly people seem to be at higher risk of selenium deficiency (13), which may partly explain the link between being old and experiencing a poor COVID-19 outcome (Side note: As we explain in our zinc article, low zinc may also explain the link between age and COVID-19 mortality). The elderly people with the highest levels of selenium were also more likely to be fit and healthy (14).
In many European populations, people do not consume enough selenium to meet the minimum requirement of 70micrograms/day (15). It is estimated that up to 14% of people worldwide (about 1 billion) are not consuming this minimum requirement (16). This is not taking into account that optimal amounts of selenium for the immune system may be higher than 70micrograms/day. The Chinese city with the fastest recovery rates from COVID-19 had an estimated intake of 550 micrograms (17). 550micrograms is still above the upper limit intake of 400micrograms, so we do not suggest aiming for such a high intake long term. Intakes of over 400micrograms may cause depletions of other nutrients long term (24).
We originally opted for 200micrograms of selenium because over a period of 2-4 years trials have shown this level to be safe and effective for the immune system of HIV patients (7) (8) (9) and the elderly. Giving 200micrograms to the elderly was found to reduce viral infection rates and deaths from cardiovascular disease (18) (19).
We no longer believe 200micrograms to be an ideal dose for overall health. Why? The first version of the ThinkPharm Formula was primarily aimed at the immune system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, our purpose has evolved and our formula is designed to help with multiple body systems. One of the body systems that is surprisingly important for overall health is the musculoskeletal system (muscle and bones).
Declines in muscle and bone strength with age lead to frailty, which is a huge problem and related to multiple health conditions.
There is some evidence to suggest that excess selenium can worsen bone health (24) (25) (26). Grip strength (a marker for frailty) is strongly linked to bone health (27) because the bones underneath the muscles need to be able to withstand the pressure exerted by muscle contraction. This means excess selenium could exacerbate frailty.
The studies showing benefits with 200micrograms of selenium weren’t doing bone scans before and after, so although the authors concluded these doses to be safe, it’s unclear whether these doses worsened bone health/grip strength/frailty.
Poor grip strength is linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease (28), all-cause mortality (28), poor mobility (29), slow gait speed (29), cognitive impairment (30), depressive symptoms (30), faster biological ageing (31) and having multiple health conditions (32).
That’s why we’ve reduced the dose of selenium in our supplement to 60 micrograms. We believe about 90% of the benefits for the immune system will be achieved by meeting the recommended amount.
Apart from making supplements, we also offer the patented Spectracell Micronutrient Test. This is an intracellular micronutrient test that aims to assess the levels of nutrients inside the cell. As a result, it is a much more sensitive way of assessing subclinical deficiencies (I.E. where there are no clear deficiency symptoms) and suboptimal levels of nutrients. A lot of the time, our nutrition coaching clients that were take 200 micrograms of selenium come back as having slightly low levels of vitamin E and vitamin C. When the tolerable upper limit intake was set at at 400micrograms, it was because they thought that higher levels could deplete other antioxidant vitamins like vitamins C and E.
We suspect that even doses of 200micrograms may slightly deplete vitamins C and E. Once again, although studies where 200micrograms was supplemented concluded that these doses were safe, they were not comparing the outcomes of 200micrograms to the outcomes of 60micrograms. They were also not assessing vitamin E and vitamin C levels in response to the use of these supplements.
When it comes to supplementation organic forms of selenium such as selenomethionine are retained better than inorganic forms of selenium (20) (21) (22). They have also been found to be safer (23). Most multivitamins will contain the inorganic forms, whereas we have decided to use what seem to be the safer, better retained version of selenium. This is also why we use the organic forms of copper, zinc and iron (as you can read in our articles).
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For more information about how taking the ThinkPharm Formula would improve your life check out our other articles about how it was designed.
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Disclaimer: Food supplements are intended to correct nutritional deficiencies, maintain an adequate intake of certain nutrients, or to support specific physiological functions. The ThinkPharm Formula (or any other food supplement) is not a medicine and therefore cannot and does not claim to treat or prevent disease. All content on this website is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. None of the scientific studies quoted on this website qualify as proof or implication that ThinkPharm Health's supplements treat or prevent disease. Findings of scientific studies do not always represent reality. It is always difficult for scientific studies to reach accurate conclusions regarding nutrition and its relationship to diseases. Please consult your healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet and lifestyle. ThinkPharm Health is not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting on information from this website.