Introducing Selenium, a miraculous element that catches free radicals

Introducing Selenium, a miraculous element that catches free radicals

Catch free radicals
Miracle Element,
Introducing Selenium.
Selenium Benefits
1. Antioxidant
2. Anti-inflammatory 
3. Thyroid Hormone Metabolism
Hello. This is pharmacist Jinny.
What do 'Kamut rice' , which has recently become a hot topic as a super grain in ancient Egypt, and 'Brazil Nut' , which is praised as the most perfect fruit on earth , have in common? It is rich in the antioxidant mineral 'Selenium' .
 
When selenium was first discovered, it was stigmatized as a toxic substance and was forgotten for over 100 years, but it was only discovered in the 1970s that it was an essential component of antioxidant enzymes in the body . Since then, research on selenium has started in earnest, and in 1978, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognized selenium as an 'essential mineral' that must be ingested, and 'miracle element, element of dreams, blue light'. He also earned the honorable nickname of 'The Wizard of
Today, in this paper, we will look at how important selenium plays a role in the body .
1. Antioxidant 
Antioxidant is the body's defense system against free radicals that are constantly created and attack the human body 'as long as they live and breathe'. The selenium we ingest becomes a component of various antioxidant enzymes in the body, and these enzymes are called selenium-dependent enzymes (selenoenzyme) . 'Glutathione peroxidase (GPx)' , which protects cell membranes from free radicals as a representative antioxidant enzyme in the human body, is also a selenium-dependent enzyme .
A review paper published in Environmental health and preventive medicine in 2008 summarizes the antioxidant activity of selenium as follows. 
"Selenium-dependent enzymes found to have potent antioxidant activity include six groups of GPx. (omitted) These GPx are responsible for protecting cells from oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) (omitted) Another essential antioxidant selenium-dependent enzyme is thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), which uses thioredoxin as a substrate to remove harmful hydrogen peroxide from the reduced state of the Trx/TrxR system. keep as. ”
Reference paper: Tinggi U. (2008). Selenium: its role as antioxidant in human health. Environmental health and preventive medicine, 13(2), 102-108.
2. Anti-inflammatory 
In essence, inflammation is considered part of the immune system as the body's natural defense response to harmful stimuli such as pathogens or injury. However , if the mechanisms that trigger and inhibit inflammation are not precisely regulated, they lead to inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, academia is looking for a way to inhibit the excessive activity of NF-kappaB, which is called the master switch of inflammation , with respect to the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases . 
Let's take a look at a review paper on   the anti-inflammatory mechanism of selenium published in HORMONE AND METABOLIC RESEARCH in 2009 .
“ Selenium can inhibit the activation of NF-kappaB by regulating selenoprotein (protein containing selenium) gene expression. Additionally, in chronic inflammation, selenium supplementation relieves the inflammatory process by increasing the biosynthesis of selenoproteins, thereby inhibiting CRP (a marker of acute inflammation, infection) production, thereby restoring depleted liver and serum selenium levels. ”
Reference paper: Duntas LH. (2009). Selenium and inflammation: underlying anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Horm Metab Res, 41(6), 443-7.
3. Thyroid Hormone Metabolism
The thyroid gland is the largest endocrine gland in our body, which makes, stores, and releases thyroid hormones into the blood. Thyroid hormones play a very important role in accelerating the body's metabolic processes and maintaining body temperature with the heat generated during this process . But did you know that selenium is essential for the metabolism of these thyroid hormones ?
A review article published in Nutrition & Food Science in 2001 reviewed the role of selenium in thyroid hormone metabolism and reported: 
“ Over the past decade, selenium has been an essential component of type 1 ioidothyronine 5' deaidinase, which converts thyroxine (T4) to the more biologically active hormone 3, 5, 3'-triiodothyronine (T3). was found to be an ingredient. ”
Reference paper: Citation Ünüsan, N. (2001). Selenium and thyroid hormone metabolism. Nutrition & Food Science, 31(2), 91-95.
Today , we looked at the status of selenium as an essential nutrient through the very important actions it performs in the body . According to Korean nutritional intake standards, the recommended daily intake of selenium for adult men and women is about 55μg, so it is recommended to take a good look at your eating habits and supplement if necessary. 

I hope you have a healthy body and mind. More than that, it was Jinny.
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