Selenium is a chemical element and mineral that is required in very small amounts in the body to maintain good health. Due to its potential health benefits, selenium is sometimes used as a natural medicine, herbal remedy, homeopathic dietary supplement, home remedy, alternative medicine, and naturopathic medicine.
There are many commercial uses for selenium such as for making glass, pigments, and in electronics manufacturing. Other names for selenium include: Ebselen, Selenio, Selenized Yeast, Sodium Selenite, Selenomethionine, and Selenium Dioxide.
Selenium can be found in a wide range of foods such as fish, live, poultry, wheat, and crab. The selenium concentration found in these foods depends on the soil in which they are found. Soil on the east coast of the United States are said to have the lowest levels.
Health Benefits of Selenium
Selenoprotein which is a type of protein that has selenium is a vital antioxidant enzyme that helps to prevent damage on the cellular level from free radicals. Thus, selenium may have health benefits as a home remedy or natural medicine for various heart problems as well as diseases related to the thyroid and immune system.
Although selenium is an essential micronutrient, it can be very toxic if consumed in large doses. Diseases that may show some improvement with the use of selenium as a home remedy or naturopathic medicine include: heart disease, atherosclerosis, and various types of cancers such as prostate, lung, stomach, and skin.
Some people also use selenium as a homeopathic medicine or alternative medicine to treat an under-active thyroid, rheumatoid arthritis, hay fever, cataracts, abnormal pap smears, mood disorders, macular degeneration, infertility, chronic fatigue syndrome, and arsenic poisoning.
Selenium has also been used as a natural medicine or dietary supplement to reduce the chance of a miscarriage. Selenium has also been taken as a natural health product or home remedy to reduce the chance of complications from a head injury or severe burns. It may also have some health benefits for those with HIV/AIDS, and bird flu. Additionally, selenium may reduce the chance of side effects from chemotherapy.
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