Selenium is an essential mineral that plays a big role in the body’s antioxidant capabilities - so, if you’re looking to reduce inflammation, selenium is the mineral that you should think of first. It’s present in seafood, Brazil nuts, brown rice, and animal products, but even so, many people do not get the recommended amount of daily selenium, which is about 55 micrograms. 

If you’re curious about the best form of selenium supplement, it looks like the liquid selenium supplement has the most benefits. The liquid selenium benefits include a higher absorption rate and the ease of incorporating the liquid into your everyday routine - something that isn’t always easy with gummies, pills, or capsules. 

Among the best liquid selenium supplement (1) you will find out there is Go Nutrients Selenium, which delivers 60% of the daily recommended selenium in every drop, and this makes the dosage very easy to adjust based on how much selenium you personally need. This supplement is third-party tested and certified for potency as well.

If you prefer taking your vitamins via liquid supplements, then this is the way to go. It’s also great for people who are looking for a larger serving dose of selenium, since you can decide on the serving dose yourself instead of the dosage being predetermined in the capsule or pill. 

Selenium may even have the power to lower your risk of contracting certain cancers (cancers like breast, lung, prostate, and kidney), and it also has the potential to lower the number of cancer cells in your system (2). Foods that are rich in selenium could benefit those at risk for cancer or those who are already diagnosed, so there’s reason to believe that the pure mineral itself could turn out the same results. 

Being a potential cancer-fighter isn’t the only benefit that selenium has, though. It’s a powerful mineral that is capable of many things, and we’re going to explain its other strengths as the article goes on. 

Selenium Supplement Benefits

Along with being a great antioxidant and having potential cancer-fighting abilities, there are plenty of other selenium supplement benefits (3). First of all, it may protect against heart disease, as low levels of selenium have been linked to heart disease, and the way that selenium fights inflammation links to heart disease as well, as inflammation is one of the main causes behind it. 

Selenium also may have the power to keep your mind sharp or prevent mental decline. Oxidative stress is linked to neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and the antioxidant qualities of selenium can only aid with this. A selenium-rich diet can also prevent the development of diseases like Alzheimer’s as well, and improve the memory of those who are already diagnosed. 

Selenium can also be a great choice for those who need to improve the function of their thyroid gland, as thyroid tissue actually contains more selenium than any other area of the body. The thyroid is the place in the body that regulates metabolism and controls growth and development. A selenium-rich diet can protect the gland against oxidative damage and can also aid in the production of thyroid hormones. 

Something that everyone can benefit from regarding selenium is its potential power to boost the immune system. It can enhance immunity and reduce inflammation, which improves the performance of the immune system as a whole. A selenium deficiency can harm immune cell function and actually result in a slower immune response. 

There are also many well-known selenium benefits for skin, selenium benefits for hair, and selenium benefits for joints (4). It can improve the elasticity of the skin, reduce dandruff, and help to improve acne and the state of your nails. It provides the minerals that the body needs to sustain strong hair, nails, and skin. 

Selenium is great for both men and women, but the selenium benefits for men center around fertility, as it can aid in sperm production. For women, it can help during the time of menopause and can even aid in alleviating symptoms caused by hot flashes. 

Organic Selenium Supplement

Selenium isn’t always easy to get through diet alone, but when people want to incorporate it into their lifestyle, they don’t want the vitamin infused with a bunch of other ingredients that they aren’t familiar with. That’s why taking an organic selenium supplement is important to many people - so we’ve gone through and found the best organic selenium supplement on the market right now (5). 

The Global Healing Center Vegan-Friendly Selenium Capsules are a brand that’s highly trusted by vegans and people who value organic products alike. The ingredients are 100% plant-based and organically certified - also promising non-GMO, gluten-free, and cruelty free ingredients. These selenium capsules are also free of artificial colors, preservatives, solvents, excipients, carrieres, additives, and alcohol - meaning that you get exactly what you’re looking for and nothing else. The ingredients of this supplement are also sourced from food, which makes them very easy for the body to absorb. 

But if taking capsules isn’t your thing, don’t worry. We’ve also done the research regarding the best organic liquid selenium, and that would be Go Nutrients Selenium Yeast Free Liquid Drops. These are great for when you’re on-the-go, if you want the selenium absorbed by your system more efficiently, or if you just don’t like taking pills or capsules. The antioxidants in these selenium liquid drops can boost your immune system, increase longevity, and improve or maintain the health of your thyroid gland and cardiovascular system. And since they’re liquid, they’re easy to take - you can choose to ingest the drops by themselves or add them to food or drink. 

The list of organic selenium benefits goes on and on. Since the ingredients aren’t full of anything artificial or synthetic, it makes it much easier for the body to recognize and therefore absorb. It’s basically like getting your selenium from food, but through a much easier method. 

Best Time to Take Selenium

If you’re someone who’s choosing to take selenium with food, you might be wondering when the best time to take selenium is. The good news is that since selenium isn’t a mineral that typically causes nausea or unpleasant side effects, when you take it is up to you (6). It’s great in the way that it can be enmeshed into any part of your daily routine. 

So, now that you know that you can take selenium whenever it feels best to you, you might be wondering: How long does it take for selenium to work? This could also factor into your decision on when to take it. 

It takes your body about 24 hours to absorb selenium after you first ingest it (7), and it can absorb about 89% of what you consume. And regarding how long selenium stays in your system after you take it, it can only build up a certain amount in the thyroid gland. What can’t be kept in the gland is typically excreted within the span of 24 hours. 

These types of questions are especially important for those with Hashimoto’s disease. Taking selenium can be helpful for those with this condition because of the way that selenium supports the thyroid gland, and Hashimoto’s is a disease that’s based around that part of the body. It’s known for symptoms like fatigue, constipation, brittle nails, hair loss, a puffy face, muscle weakness, and depression - among many others, if you’ve been diagnosed. Hashimoto’s disease is a condition where your immune system attacks your thyroid gland (8), which then affects how your body produces hormones. Hashimoto’s can also cause inflammation, which then can lead to an underactive thyroid - but selenium can be a huge help because of the way it boosts the immune system and reduces inflammation. 

The best selenium supplement for Hashimoto’s is Thorne Research Selenium (9). The reason that this specific capsule is so great is because there’s literally only two ingredients - selenium and the cellulose that’s added to create the capsule shape. If you’re looking for a clean supplement, then this is the best choice. 

Vitamin E With Selenium

As with anything, there are things to watch out for when it comes to selenium - specifically vitamin E with selenium. A study published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that taking selenium and vitamin E supplements could increase the risk of prostate cancer depending on a man’s previous selenium levels (10). The study showed that if a man already has selenium levels that are adequate, it would give him no benefits to take supplements that include selenium and vitamin E. 

But just like there are downfalls, there are vitamin E with selenium benefits, too. When selenium works together with vitamin E, in a liquid selenium and vitamin E supplement, for example, it can reduce free radicals that are created in the cell. Along with this, it can also aid in cellular function by protecting the cell membranes, proteins, and DNA from oxidation. It does this by keeping inflammation in check. These two minerals teamed together also respond well to fighting infections, and they can also slow down changes in virus RNA during its replication phase (11). 

There are also ways to use vitamin E and selenium for fertility, which is another notable benefit. It’s something that both men and women can take when trying to get pregnant, as it can play an important role in the reproductive systems of both sexes. Selenium deficiency can be a factor in miscarriage, as it can lead to low semen quality and poor sperm motility, and combining it with vitamin E can help to decrease the likelihood of these things. Selenium also has the capability to maintain the health of the follicular fluid that surrounds a woman’s eggs, which, along with a healthy and well-rounded diet, can aid in the fertility journey (12). 

Resources

1. Blechman, Phil. "The Best Selenium Supplements On The Market For Absorption, Liquid, And More." BarBend, 20 May 2021, barbend.com/best-selenium-supplements/.
2. "Selenium for preventing cancer." PMC, Jan. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6491296/.
3. Kubula, Jillian. "7 Science-Based Health Benefits of Selenium." Healthline, 20 Aug. 2019, www.healthline.com/nutrition/selenium-benefits#1.-Acts-as-a-powerful-antioxidant.
4. "SUPER SELENIUM: Do You Know The Top 5 Benefits Of Selenium For You?" Birch & Wilde, www.birchandwilde.co.uk/blogs/news/super-selenium-do-you-know-the-top-5-benefits-for-you.
5. Debret, Chelsea. "10 Vegan Selenium Supplements to Help You Get the Right Amount." One Green Planet, 2018, www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/vegan-selenium-supplements/.
6. "Best Time Of Day To Take Selenium." PerformanceLab, 11 June 2021, www.performancelab.com/blogs/immune/best-time-of-day-to-take-selenium.
7. "Learn About Selenium in 5 Minutes." Feel, 27 Nov. 2019, wearefeel.com/blogs/learn/what-is-selenium-vitamins.
8. "Hashimoto's Disease." MayoClinic, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hashimotos-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20351855.
9. Davis, John. "Ranking the best selenium supplements of 2021." BodyNutrition, bodynutrition.org/selenium/.
10. Whiteman, Honor. "Selenium and vitamin E supplements 'increase prostate cancer risk'." Medical News Today, 24 Feb. 2014, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273069.
11. "Learn About Your Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamin E and Selenium." BioAnalyt, May 2020, www.bioanalyt.com/vitamin-e-selenium/.
12. Garone, Sarah. "Try These 12 Vitamins and Supplements to Boost Your Fertility." Healthline, 30 July 2021, www.healthline.com/health/fertility/fertility-vitamins#acetyl-l-carnitine.