Minerals like iron, zinc and selenium are essential to life, your body cannot function without them. Just like vitamins, minerals help your body grow, develop, and stay healthy. The body uses minerals to perform many different functions from building strong bones to transmitting nerve impulses. Some minerals are even used to make hormones or maintain a normal heartbeat. Your body doesn’t make minerals, therefore, you need a reliable source from your diet. Supplements can help fill the mineral gap your diet may be lacking as well.
On commercial farms, the soil no longer has the minerals it used to. That means you may be suffering from a mineral deficiency. Selenium is a “must-have” mineral. It’s a major player in the fight against chronic disease. Selenium dramatically lowers your risk for many types of cancer. These include lung, colon, liver, and prostate cancer.
But there’s more to selenium’s protective power. A study from the University of North Carolina shows that selenium can also lower your risk of osteoarthritis. Researchers found that people’s risk was related to the level of selenium in their bodies. To give you an idea of how powerful this mineral is, an increase of just one tenth of a part per million decreased their risk of osteoarthritis by 15 to 20 percent. The higher the amount of selenium, the more their risk dropped.
It’s also one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet. For your bones and joints, it protects your cartilage and prevents the inflammation that causes joint pain.
As a cancer fighter, selenium slows down tumors by cutting off their blood supply. And it kills cancer cells by triggering a built-in program that kills off damaged cells.
What’s more, it stops LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) from sticking to your arteries.
So, how do you get more selenium in your diet?
Well, you won’t find much of it in fruits or vegetables. That’s why vegetarians often suffer from a lack of this very important mineral.
The best sources are fish, red meat, and Brazil nuts. It is recommended that you consume at least 55 micrograms of selenium a day.
Amount of Selenium in foods:
| Food | Quantity | Micrograms |
| Brazil Nuts | 1 oz | 544 |
| Canned Tuna or Salmon | 3 oz | 63 |
| Beef (cooked) | 3.5 oz | 35 |
| Cod (cooked) | 3 oz | 32 |
| Turkey (roasted) | 3.5 oz | 32 |
| Chicken Breast (roasted) | 3.5 oz | 20 |
| Egg (medium size) | 1 | 14 |
| Walnuts | 1 oz | 5 |
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