Selenium and diabetes risk

Did you know that selenium supplementation can increase the risk of diabetes by as high as 50%? Another reason to be extra cautious in taking supplements.

Selenium is a trace mineral that works closely with Vitamin E as an antioxidant, reducing free radical damage and contributes to the prevention of cancer, arthritis, and coronary heart disease. It helps the immune system and keeps liver, pancreas and thyroid functions healthy. But like anything else, more doesn’t necessarily mean better — specially if its not eaten as food.

About 60 percent of Americans take multivitamins, many of which contain between 33 and 200 micrograms of selenium. This is addition to what they get from food. The RDA for selenium varies by age. For people aged 14 and over, 55 micrograms per day is recommended for the body to function normally.

I personally eat 1 brazil nut a day, which translates to about 75 mcg delivered as part of a natural food — rather than as an isolated chemical. Brazil nuts (of all the nuts and seeds) has the highest amount of selenium: a whopping 1917 mcg per hundred grams of nuts.

Eating brazil nuts is cheaper, safer, and definitely tastier than popping a pill!