Don’t forget selenium
March 8, 2021
With the headline, we are entering the vital minerals, and selenium is one of the most important, because it is the gateway to 25 different selenoproteins, which control a wide range of processes in the body.
Selenium is a substance that we prefer not to lack, and numerous studies have over the years confirmed that selenium deficiency can lead to, among other things. heart failure, cancer, metabolic disorders, arthritis, infertility, atherosclerosis, increased inflammation, and a variety of immunological failures that are particularly relevant in this corona age.
Did you know, for example, that a vaccine will not work as intended if the vaccinated person lacks selenium and vitamin D. These two nutrients are necessary to activate the T cells, which must be able to recognize the infection the next time you encounter it (1,2,3). And they are also needed to moderate any vaccine-triggered cytokine storm.
There are thousands of articles cementing heavy research into selenium, and most recently, two months ago, an interesting study of selenium deficiency related to cardiovascular disease and inflammatory conditions was published (4). Since cardiovascular disease is also initiated by inflammation, it is natural to examine this collectively.
Previous studies have also shown that low selenium in the blood was the cause of increased inflammation, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death (5,6).
Selenium dampens cytokine storms
The study included 858 healthy elderly and 606 cardiovascular patients of the same age.
The researchers examined the degree of inflammation by measuring the ratio of white blood cells (neutrophil / lymphocyte ratio), CRP and a wide range of cytokines, interleukins and chemokines.
They found a clear link between the lack of selenium and the incidence of cardiovascular disease as well as, not surprisingly, increased chronic, inflammatory load on the body, especially in the cardiovascular disease.
Selenium deficiency was associated with elevated values of circulating inflammation markers such as cytokines, interleukins and chemokines that are precisely characteristic of the scourge of our time, namely the risk of a cytokine storm at Covid-19.
Selenium is included as a moderator on an equal term with vitamin D, so that the formation and control of cytokines is formed and controlled, but to avoid the violent production called a cytokine storm, which triggers the damage that makes Covid-19 dangerous for individuals, weak people.
The researchers concluded that people with plasma selenium below 60 µg / l had almost twice the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those who had a normal selenium content in the blood.
The result was convincing and statistically significant and corresponds very well to previous studies showing that the selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase achieves its maximum activity in the blood when the concentration of selenium in plasma is between 70 and 90 µg / l (7).
In previous newsletters from May 2020, there are several references related to infections updated by Covid-19, and back in 2005 we wrote newsletters about cancer risk due to selenium deficiency. So selenium has been on the light board for many years, i.a. because there are so few who are aware that it is something we must not lack.
Daily intake (in Europe) should be around 100µg, and naturally it is found in fish, meat and certain nuts.
So remember selenium every day.
Take care of yourself and others.
Claus Hancke MD
Specialist in general medicine
References
- Comparison of the characteristics, morbidity, and mortality of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza: a nationwide, population-based retrospective cohort study. Piroth L et al, Dec.2020, Lancet. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213260020305270
- Geisler C, Ødum N et al. 2010, Vitamin D controls T cell antigen receptor signaling and activation of human T cells. Nature Immunology 2010;11:344-349.
https://www.nature.com/articles/ni.1851 - https://www.webapoteket.dk/saar-og-sygepleje/selvtest/quicktest-d-vitamin-p-222465
- https://www.cerascreen.dk/products/test-for-d-vitamin
- Alberto Boretti, Bimal Krishna Banik (2020) Intravenous vitamin C for reduction of cytokines storm in acute respiratory distress syndrome PharmaNutrition. 2020 Jun;12:100190. Published online 2020 Apr 21. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213434420300153
- Caly L et al, 2020, Antiviral Research, 178, june 2020, 104787.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166354220302011?via%3Dihub - https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04747574