85% of American adults see a physician every year. While some of those visits are preventative, many doctor visits are brought about by a variety of health issues.
With the American diet in absolute peril thanks to marketing perpetuated by processed food providers, the outlook of US health improving by way of under-funded counter campaigns is slim.
Still, many health advocates never cease their attempts at promoting what it is that you should be putting in your body to assure that you're able to live your best life.
Among the best things that you can do for yourself to promote unilateral health is to take in more selenium.
Selenium is a naturally occurring trace mineral that can assist with a number of bodily functions. Below, we outline where you can get selenium and what it can do for you.
Where Can Selenium Be Found?
Given that selenium is a trace mineral, it's best obtained from food. Foods that can provide you with healthy doses of selenium include eggs, liver, cod, tuna, sunflower seeds, and a variety of poultry dishes.
You can also find selenium supplements at drug and health stores.
What Can Selenium Do For You?
Selenium benefits have been well documented by medical science and its applications are as broad as they are impressive. Below are our 7 favorite benefits that selenium brings.
Selenium is an Antioxidant
Cell damage is a naturally occurring process that comes on with age. This process can be hastened however by partaking in activities like smoking and alcohol use.
Selenium has the ability to slow oxidative stress. Since oxidative stress triggers cell damage, selenium could increase your lifespan.
It Can Help You With Fertility Problems
Selenium is one of the chief minerals that aid sperm cell mobility. With proper does of selenium, sperm can have a much easier journey through the vaginal cavity which can increase the odds of pregnancy.
It's important that selenium levels stay balanced if your intention is to help induce pregnancy. Both low and high levels of selenium can have adverse effects of sperm cells.
Heart Disease Can Be Better Prevented
With the help of selenium, you and your doctor can develop a multi-faceted plan to help you mitigate your risk of heart disease.
Selenium fights inflammation in your body which can open pathways for blood to move more freely. Also, selenium's antioxidant benefits can help increase your healthy blood cell count.
Your Cognitive Heath Could Get a Boost
Oxidative stress is one of the chief contributors to Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is also the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Given that fact, taking steps to try and prevent it should be a health priority for middle-aged people.
Selenium reduces oxidative stress which can then reduce your odds of incurring Alzheimer's-related complications or the disease itself.
It Could Reduce Your Risk of Cancer
Speaking of leading causes of death, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and is often seen as less preventable than the leading cause of death, heart disease.
Studies have shown that people battling certain types of cancers were more able to defend against them with frequent consumption of selenium versus people that had low selenium levels.
Cancers looked at in studies include lung, breast, colon and prostate cancer.
An Extra Layer of Security For Your Immune System
If you're prone to frequent doctor's visits, your immune system is likely to blame. Many people have naturally poor immune health but some immune crisis are self-inflicted.
Eating nutrient-poor foods. Partaking in unhealthy activities... These are two things that can contribute to the dismantling of your immune system's ability to ward off disease.
A simple way to help boost your immune system is to increase your selenium intake. Many of the selenium perks that we've discussed including its ability to reduce inflammation, increase blood flow and lower oxidative stress all help the immune system indirectly.
As a matter of fact, selenium supplements are used to help combat diseases that target the immune system like HIV.
Asthma Symptoms May Be Reduced
A final benefits of selenium favorite is reduced symptoms from asthma.
For the uninitiated, asthma is a respiratory disease. Many people are born with it and it plagues some sufferers throughout the course of their lifetime. Typical asthma symptoms include difficulty breathing, coughing, chest tightness, and wheezing.
Selenium works to help reduce inflammation in asthma sufferer's airways. This helps oxygen flow more readily into the lungs.
A Quick Word of Caution
While selenium has many health benefits, it should be ingested in moderation. The overuse of selenium can cause health problems just as severe as those encountered when selenium levels are low.
Our Bloglovin' team recommends that you talk to your physician about if selenium is right for your particular ailment before increasing your exposure to it.
Wrapping Up The Important Health Benefits of Selenium
All of our information on selenium was aimed at educating you on the possible health benefits that it can bring to your life. We hope that you now feel confident discussing selenium with your physician and choose possibly better incorporate it into your daily lifestyle.
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