17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A crucial trace mineral that enhances the immune system and detoxifies the body, July 17, 2011
This review is from: Source Naturals Selenium, 200mcg, 120 Tablets (Pack of 3) (Health and Beauty)
Disclaimer: I offer the information below purely for the purposes of consumer education about this product. It is not intended as medical advice.
Selenium is a trace mineral that is crucial to the diet of humans and most animals. It has physical and chemical properties similar to sulfur and is found directly below sulfur on the periodic table of the elements. It is not recommended to use supplemental selenium in it its inorganic forms such as sodium selenite. Some researchers consider the most bioavailable form of selenium to be its organic form, L-selenomethionine, which is NOT what is used in this product. (If you want that type, try this
selenium.)
L-selenomethionine can be obtained in the diet by consuming whole grains, legumes, nuts (especially Brazil nuts), meat and seafood. The most direct dietary source of L-selenomethionine is from plant food. Any L-selenomethionine in meat and fish is due to plant food that the animal consumed when alive. Selenium is found in soil all over the world, and the amount in a particular soil impacts how much selenium ends up in the food that grows in it.
Scientists first understood the nutritional importance of selenium in the late 1950's when an important study linked liver disease to low selenium in the diet. The first of many studies indicating selenium inhibits the growth of cancer came from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1996. It found a 50% decrease in the incidence of lung, prostate and colorectal cancer in test subjects receiving selenium supplementation.
Subsequent research has revealed how selenium fights cancer. First, it prevents tumor growth by enhancing the body's immune system and by helping to cut off blood supply to tumors, which slows or stops their growth. Second, it has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants counteract free radicals, which are atoms within cells that lose an electron. An atom with an unpaired electron will reach out and grab a replacement electron from another atom nearby. If this process becomes widespread and unchecked in the body, it can lead to extensive biological damage at the cellular level.
Because it is an antioxidant, selenium also helps heal/prevent heart disease, particularly atherosclerosis (plaque in the arteries), and many autoimmune disorders such as arthritis, HIV and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. In addition to promoting healthy functioning of the immune system, selenium stimulates the production of prostaglandins, substances in the body which help lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation. Reducing inflammation is particularly important since many medical researchers consider it a key contributor to every major disease.
Research has also indicated that selenium chelates (removes) heavy metals from the body, particularly mercury, which is a neurotoxin. Humans are regularly exposed to mercury due to air pollution from coal-fired power plants, mercury-based vaccine preservatives, mercury-amalgam dental fillings, and mercury-tainted seafood. It also gets into the ground water due to millions of consumers sending broken electronic equipment (which contains lead, arsenic and cadmium in addition to mercury) to the city dump with their regular trash rather than disposing of it as toxic waste. Finally, compact fluorescent lamps/bulbs (CFLs) contain mercury, and many consumers do not realize they should dispose of burned-out CFLs as toxic waste and clean up broken CFLs with extreme care to avoid exposing themselves and their families to mercury. (The EPA states: "Open nearby windows to disperse any vapor that may escape, carefully sweep up the fragments [without touching them directly with] your hands, and wipe the area with a [damp] disposable paper towel to remove all glass fragments. Do not use a vacuum [because the mercury will stay in the bag, in your house, emitting fumes]. Place all fragments in a sealed plastic bag and dispose of it the same way you would other household hazardous waste [such as AA and AAA batteries] at your local Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site.")
It is important to note that even though selenium does so many great things for one's health, it does not therefore follow that one should take fistfuls of these pills. The top recommended safe dosage is 400 mcg per day, which would be two of these 200 mcg pills. I myself take only one of these pills per day.
There are dozens and dozens of producers of selenium on the market. I personally chose this one because Source Naturals has a very good reputation for the purity of their supplements and for outside laboratory confirmation that each supplement contains what is listed on the label.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Source Naturals Selenium in a 3 pack, October 23, 2010
This review is from: Source Naturals Selenium, 200mcg, 120 Tablets (Pack of 3) (Health and Beauty)
Selenium is a very important supplement that our bodies need. This is the best deal I've found for a quality Selenium. Source Naturals is a very reputable quality brand and I have purchased other supplements from them with great success. This is a great deal for 200 mcg of Selenium in a 3 pack of 120 tablets.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Selenium is a crucial nutrient, December 27, 2011
This review is from: Source Naturals Selenium, 200mcg, 120 Tablets (Pack of 3) (Health and Beauty)
After reading Dr. Joel Wallach's work with selenium and inducing cystic fibrosis in the adult primate I began to realize the important role selenium plays not just with cystic fibrosis, not just with lung and heart disease, but also connected the dots with pancreatic changes and a possible link to diabetes.
Since avoiding food chemicals including anything "bleached / enriched", brominated vegetable oils, brominated dough conditioners, high fructose corn syrup, etc my husband's Type 2 diabetes took a rapid 180 turn and finally began being under control with medication - a first in upteen years. Then when we began introducing mineral rich whole foods and naturally sourced supplements, another major improvement was achieved. Since he began taking occasional selenium supplements his cardiologist has remarked "looking at these labs I would NOT call you a diabetic" ... and he has no longer been taking ANY diabetes meds - not in almost TWO years!!
We feel Selenium was vital supplement in helping my husband Kick the Diabetes Bucket and finally lead a normal, healthy lifestyle free from the Fear Factor the diabetic counselors and medical experts had led us to believe. Source Naturals has proven themselves to be a reputable manufacturer of quality supplements including Selenium.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No