Liquid Health- The Benefits of Selenium

When you’re a child, you cannot wait to grow up.  Unfortunately, what proceeds growing up is growing old.  Contrary to popular belief, senior living centers do not consist of attractive nurses giving sponge baths and hilarious denture related pranks.   The vast majority of senior living centers exist because muscular dystrophy has made it unsafe for seniors to live on their own.  As many parents know, and anyone who has lived with my old roommate Justin, living with people who cannot take care of themselves is no fun.  There are two primary ways you can avoid this fate.  The first is to beg Sean Connory for his method of never aging or you can follow Liquid Energy’s advice and try Selenium.

With selenium and a silly hat, anything is possible

What is Selenium?
Selenium is a trace mineral that is used in antioxidant enzymes that protects cells against free radicals produced during the normal oxygen metabolism process.  These free radicals, left alone, can damage cells and contribute to the development of chronic disease.  Selenium is also essential for the everyday functions of the immune system and can be found in almost every cell in the body.  The highest concentrations of selenium are in the kidneys, liver, pancreas, and spleen.

Don't let your cells look like this

Selenium Study:
There was a study done involving 891 men and women over the age of 65 who volunteered to have blood drawn to monitor selenium levels.  They were then tested on the strength of their hips, grips, and knees.  The government states the minimum level of selenium should be 1.25 micromoles per liter of blood, but the study’s averaged placed 0.95 micrometers per liter of blood.  Bad old seniors!  After analyzing the data, the study found that those with the lowest levels of selenium were 69 percent more likely to possess poor hip strength, 94 percent more likely to have poor knee strength, and 94 percent more likely to have poor grip strength.  This study requires additional research to conclusively prove selenium can reduce muscular dystrophy but there are hopes this study can encourage additional research that can conclusively link selenium to muscular dystrophy.

Where can I find Selenium?

You can find selenium in most meats, nuts, unrefined grains, brown rice, wheat germ, and oats.  The concentration of selenium depends on the richness of the soil in which the plants were grown.  The recommended dosage is 55 mcg for women and 70 mcg for men. If you are worried that your selenium intake is inadequate, you can always purchase dietary supplements at Liquid Energy online by taking BioFuel which provides 100mcg’s of selenium per day.

Daniells, Stephen. “Low Selenium Levels May Be Weakening Muscles – Study.” NutraIngredients USA. August 27, 2007. http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com

Supplement Watch. Supplement Library: “Selenium.” http://www.supplementwatch.com/

Whole Health MD. Reference Library: Supplements: “Selenium.” http://www.wholehealthmd.com