Summary: <p>Today I want to cover some interesting points about selenium that you may have never heard before. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Selenium is a trace mineral, and it’s involved in thyroid function and helps detox mercury. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Selenium is also a powerful antioxidant. It’s important to support cardiovascular and brain health and may help prevent strokes and cancer. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Brazil nuts are loaded with selenium. One Brazil nut will give you the selenium you need for the day. Taking too much selenium could lead to selenium toxicity. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Selenium is in many other foods, too, so why are so many people deficient in selenium? It has to do with the fact that it’s in a form that plant roots have a difficult time extracting—they need help from microbes. However, there aren’t enough microbes or diversity of microbes in the soil. </p> <p><br></p> <p>A good solution is to start buying foods from farmers who care about their soil and grow things with microbial diversity. It’s also essential to consume fermented foods. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Another overlooked cause of selenium deficiency is a certain genetic mutation related to the proteins or enzymes with selenium. Taking statins may also lead to selenium deficiency. </p>
