Posted by Larry Hoover on January 1, 2004, at 9:56:40
In reply to Re: really worried about past selenium use » headachequeen, posted by dragonfly25 on January 1, 2004, at 9:03:32
> > selenium is one of the trace elements and has such a wild effect...
> > it can cause sterility if absent in the mix... but it can also cause spontaneous abortion and terrible birth defects if ingested at the wromg time and does nothing for the hair...
> > it is only effective for the thyroid....
> > so it is not really linked to a Topomax side effect...
> > kat
>
> hi kat,
> thanks for the info. i am sorry if this sounds repetitive but i didn't understand what you meant, i am really hung over. were you saying that it will absorb differently at anytime and if you don't get enough you can become sterile and if you get too much you can cause birth defects? and for the birth defects is this only while pregnant? i am sooo scared, i was taking zinc and selenium for about a year when i was quite young and i am pretty careless about stuff like that. do you think i should worry? thx
> dragonfly
>I'm sorry if I'm jumping in to other people's conversation, but I'd like to say that selenium is an essential mineral, and toxic effects (called selenosis) generally arise from groundwater with excessive amounts of dissolved selenium salts. The toxic effects are totally reversible on reduction of selenium intake.
In contrast (and because we have an international audience), it should be noted that most of Europe has too little selenium in the soil to meet even the most basic selenium requirement via intake from food and water. Up until the advent of the European Union, imported North American wheat was the primary source of selenium for many Europeans. With internal trade rules now in effect, little NA wheat is imported any more. So, if you're European, I can almost guarantee you are selenium deficient, unless you take a daily supplement.
Mercury exposure irreversible binds selenium. If you've amalgam fillings in your teeth, you're getting daily mercury exposure. If you breathe, or eat food, you're getting daily mercury exposure. If you're stressed or burned out, I can guarantee your selenium stores are depleted, even not taking into account mercury exposure.
Selenium toxicity is thought to occur at chronic intakes of greater than 850 micrograms per day, in the most sensitive individuals (chronic being defined as greater than six months exposure at that level). Many Europeans have intakes around 30 micrograms per day. North Americans tend to be around 80-110 micrograms per day. Subjective mood improvement has been demonstrated on supplementation at 100 mcg per day. I personally believe a daily supplement of 200 mcg per day is prudent.
Selenium is essential for proper thyroid function. It also serves as a primary antioxidant defender in neural tissues. It is the safest way to detoxify chronic low-level mercury exposure.
I have never heard of reproductive issues related to selenium exposure, but I would be most interested in learning about that.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:50878
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031231/msgs/295324.html