Adding more selenium in your blood by 50% can lower heart disease risk by 24%. This fact shows how important selenium and zinc are for our health.
Selenium and zinc are essential for many reasons. The benefits of selenium and zinc help protect your body, boost the immune system, and even fight cancer. Plus, they’re key for your body to work at its best.
Selenium aids in making enzymes that protect our cells from damage. This makes it vital for antioxidant benefits. It also helps white blood cells work well, keeping your body’s immune system strong.
Zinc, on the other hand, helps more than 100 enzymes do their jobs. These enzymes are essential for overall health. Zinc is also great for your skin, boosts antioxidant support, helps your immune response, and supports growth and development.
Want to improve your thyroid health, skin health, or lower the risk of cancer? Using selenium and zinc mineral supplements can help a lot. Read on to discover more about the benefits of selenium and zinc.
Let’s delve into the benefits of selenium and zinc.
Key Takeaways
What is Selenium?
Selenium is a trace mineral found in many foods. It’s essential for our body’s functions. It works as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage. Selenium also helps keep our immune system healthy by supporting white blood cells.
Selenium’s Role in the Body
Selenium is vital for our body in many ways. It acts as an antioxidant, fighting off free radicals. This mineral also aids our immune system by helping white blood cells work better.
Recommended Daily Intake of Selenium
How much selenium we need depends on our age and life stage. For adults, the daily goal is 55 micrograms. Pregnant people should get 60 mcg daily. If you’re breastfeeding, aim for 70 mcg each day.
Food Sources of Selenium
We get selenium from many foods. Fish like tuna, halibut, and sardines are top sources. Just one serving can provide a big chunk of your daily needs.
Other good sources include whole wheat bread, baked beans, oatmeal, and cottage cheese. They give over 20% of selenium’s daily value in one serving.
What is Zinc?
Zinc is a vital mineral for our body. It helps over 100 enzymes work well, improving our health. This makes it really important for us.
Zinc’s Functions in the Body
It makes our skin healthy and fights off harmful stuff to keep our body safe. It also helps us grow and supports a system that fights off sickness.
Recommended Daily Zinc Intake
Women need 8 mg of Zinc daily, or 11 mg if expecting, and 12 mg when breastfeeding. Men usually need 11 mg a day to stay healthy.
Dietary Sources of Zinc
Oysters are top for Zinc. One beef sirloin serving gives 35% of your daily need. Foods like breakfast cereals, lentils, pumpkin seeds, and turkey are also good Zinc sources.
Benefits of Selenium and Zinc
Zinc and selenium are key minerals for good health. They provide powerful antioxidants. These protect our cells, lowering risks for diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
Selenium is crucial for our immune system, helping to keep us healthy. Zinc also boosts our immune system and keeps our skin healthy. Zinc is vital for more than 100 enzymes in our body, essential for our health.
Antioxidant Properties
Selenium is a powerful antioxidant. It fights oxidative stress to help your body. It defends against diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Antioxidants, found in foods, prevent cell damage by free radicals. These are natural byproducts of processes in our body. Without them, we get oxidative stress, which is harmful. Selenium reduces this stress by balancing these radicals.
It neutralizes extra free radicals. This protects our cells from the harm of oxidative stress.
Selenium’s Antioxidant Mechanisms
Selenium is key in our body’s processes like metabolism. It supports the immune system and thyroid too. Some findings linked higher selenium to lower cancer risks.
These benefits are mainly due to selenium’s role as an antioxidant.
Zinc’s Antioxidant Effects
Zinc also offers antioxidant help against oxidative stress. It keeps skin healthy and spurs a good immune response. It’s vital for over 300 enzymes.
Zinc guides the work of certain antioxidant enzymes, influencing some essential cell processes.
Cancer Prevention
Selenium, along with reducing oxidative stress, might also lower specific cancer risks. Selenium helps by lowering DNA damage and stress. It boosts your immunity and kills cancer cells.
A study with over 350,000 participants showed high selenium in the blood associated with less cancer risk. But remember, this was about food selenium, not supplements.
Selenium and Cancer Risk Reduction
Selenium acts as a strong antioxidant, protecting us from cancer. High selenium in blood links with lower risks of breast, lung, colon, and prostate cancer.
This effect comes from selenium’s power to lessen DNA damage, cut stress, and boost the immune system. Thus, it helps stop cancer.
Zinc’s Role in Cancer Prevention
Zinc helps as an antioxidant, shielding our cells from stress. This might lower some cancer risks. Zinc also keeps our immune system strong, fighting off cancer cells.
Heart Health Benefits
Selenium and zinc are key for a healthy heart. Foods high in selenium can keep your heart strong. Studies show low selenium can up your heart disease risk.
Selenium and Cardiovascular Disease
In a review of 25 studies, a 50% selenium boost cut heart disease risk by 24%. Selenium also fights body inflammation, a big heart disease risk. This inflammation connects to atherosclerosis which leads to strokes and heart attacks.
Zinc’s Impact on Heart Health
Zinc acts as an antioxidant, guarding cells from harm. It fights oxidative damage. This helps lower heart disease risk and its problems.
Cognitive Function Support
Recent studies show selenium and zinc are key for brain health. They help prevent brain issues as we get older. Scientists are especially interested in the role of these minerals in Alzheimer’s.
Selenium and Alzheimer’s Disease
Research shows those with Alzheimer’s often have low selenium in their blood. This finding spurred more studies on selenium’s effects. You see, oxidative stress hurts the brain in Alzheimer’s. Selenium’s antioxidants might fight this damage.
A few studies suggest antioxidants, including selenium, could help memory. In one small study, eating a selenium-packed Brazil nut daily boosted brainpower in those with mild memory issues. Eating lots of selenium-rich foods in the Mediterranean diet is also linked to less Alzheimer’s risk.
Zinc’s Neuroprotective Effects
Zinc’s effect on the brain is still under study. But, early reports suggest zinc is important for brain health. It helps keep the brain protected and could slow cognitive decline. More work is ongoing to understand zinc’s full role in brain health.
Thyroid Health
Selenium is key in keeping the thyroid healthy. This mineral protects the thyroid from harm. It helps thyroid hormones work right, controlling many body functions.
Selenium’s Importance for Thyroid Function
The thyroid has more selenium than any other part of the body. Selenium makes sure thyroid hormones do their job. This supports our health in many ways.
Zinc and Thyroid Disorders
Zinc is vital for making thyroid hormones work. Without enough zinc, our bodies struggle. This can worsen thyroid problems. Adding zinc to your diet can help, especially if you’re a woman with hypothyroidism.
Immune System Boost
Selenium and zinc are key in making our immune system strong. Selenium helps white blood cells work better, fighting off bad infections. Without enough selenium, our immune response slows down. On the flip side, zinc keeps our immunity sharp and helps us grow well.
These minerals are super vital for our immune health. Not getting enough selenium can make us more likely to get sick from viruses like flu or hepatitis. In studies, animals with less selenium had worse lung problems with the flu. Kids with low selenium were more vulnerable to serious flu strains.
If we lack zinc, especially common in old or sick people, we might get more sick from respiratory issues. Adding zinc to our diet can cut the risk of bad lung infections in half for kids. It can also lower pneumonia risk by a lot in very sick patients.
Enhancing the benefits of selenium and zinc is a smart move for a strong immune system. Eating nuts, fish, oysters, plus meat and seeds, is a great start for these minerals. For some, like seniors or those with health problems, taking supplements might be needed.
Asthma Management
Asthma leads to the body having more oxidative stress and inflammation. Selenium, by lowering inflammation, might help with asthma symptoms.
Selenium and Asthma Symptoms
People with asthma often have less selenium in their blood. But, those with more selenium have better lung capacity. This shows selenium’s role in managing asthma symptoms.
Zinc’s Role in Asthma Treatment
Zinc acts as an antioxidant. It helps cells fight oxidative stress. This support might be good for handling asthma symptoms.
Research shows that zinc supplements can make a difference. They improve oxidative stress, immune system, lung function, and life quality in allergic asthma patients.
Conclusion
Selenium and zinc are very important for our health. Selenium acts as a strong antioxidant. It fights against damage in our cells. The benefits of selenium and zinc also help keep our immune system strong and our thyroid healthy.
Zinc is also an antioxidant. It helps the immune system and is key in many body processes. These minerals are crucial for our overall health and well-being.
Research shows that the benefits of selenium and zinc are vital for good health. They can lower cancer risk, help the brain, and ease asthma. Knowing their benefits helps us choose better for our health.
It’s important to eat foods rich in these minerals. You can also add supplements if needed. This way, we keep ourselves healthy and well.
FAQs
Is it okay to take zinc and selenium together?
Yes, it’s generally safe to take zinc and selenium together as they can complement each other’s benefits in supporting overall health.
What are the benefits of selenium and zinc tablets?
Selenium and zinc tablets can support immune function, promote antioxidant activity, and contribute to the health of hair, skin, and nails.
What are the main benefits of selenium?
Selenium is essential for thyroid function, antioxidant defense, and supporting a healthy immune system.
Does zinc and selenium help you sleep?
Zinc and selenium can indirectly support sleep by promoting overall health and aiding in relaxation, but they’re not directly sleep aids.
What are the symptoms of selenium deficiency?
Symptoms of selenium deficiency may include fatigue, weakened immune function, hair loss, and cognitive decline.
What is selenium best for?
Selenium is best known for its role in supporting thyroid health, protecting against oxidative stress, and promoting a strong immune system.
Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. It is not a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your doctor for more information. Nutrition Cult does not claim responsibility for this information.
