Highly dosed trace element for the immune system, hair and nails

Selenium is a trace element that is naturally present in many foods, is even added to some foods and is available as a dietary supplement. Selenium is essential for humans. It is a component of more than 20 selenoproteins, which play a crucial role in reproduction, thyroid hormone metabolism, DNA synthesis and protection against oxidative damage.

Forms of selenium

Selenium exists in two forms: inorganic (selenate and selenite) and organic (selenomethionine and selenocysteine). Both forms are sources of selenium. Soils contain inorganic selenites and selenates, which are accumulated by plants and converted into organic forms such as selenocysteine and selenomethionine.

Most selenium in human tissue is in the form of selenomethionine, where it can be unspecifically incorporated into body proteins with the amino acid methionine. The skeletal muscle is the main storage for selenium and accounts for about 28% to 46% of the total selenium pool.

Food as selenium source

Seafood and offal are the richest sources of selenium. Other sources are meat, cereals and dairy products. The selenium content in drinking water is not nutritionally significant in most geographical regions.

The amount of selenium in plant foods depends on the amount of selenium in the soil and other factors such as the pH of the soil, the amount of organic matter in the soil and whether the selenium is present in a form suitable for plant uptake. As a result, selenium concentrations in plant foods vary widely depending on geographical location.

Bioavailability of selenium

Some studies have compared the relative absorption and bioavailability of different forms of selenium. In one study, 10 groups of participants randomly received a placebo or either 200 or 600 µg selenium per day as selenomethionine, sodium selenite or selenium yeast for 16 weeks. The bioavailability of selenium based on urine excretion was highest for selenomethionine and lowest for selenite.

EFSA has confirmed the following effects of selenium in the human organism:

• contributes to normal spermatogenesis
• contributes to the maintenance of normal hair
• contributes to the maintenance of normal nails
• contributes to a normal function of the immune system
• contributes to a normal thyroid function
• contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress

The selenium tablets by Fairvital are highly dosed with 200µg elementary content. In addition, they are vegetarian and vegan and do not contain magnesium stearate or silicon dioxide. The tablets are easy to swallow due to their small size. One pack of selenium contains 120 tablets and is therefore sufficient for 4 months.