7 Science-Based Reasons Why Selenium is Vital to Your Health!

Though you may have never heard of selenium, this amazing nutrient is vital to your health.

Selenium is an essential mineral, meaning it must be obtained through your diet.

It’s only needed in small amounts but plays a major role in important processes in your body, including your metabolism and thyroid function.

This article outlines 7 health benefits of selenium, all backed by science.

This article was reposted from the website Healthline and was originally written by Jullian Kubala, MS,RD – a registered dietitian based in Westhampton, NY. Click on the following link to subscribe to the Healthline newsletter: https://www.healthline.com/newsletter-signup

1. Acts as a powerful antioxidant

Antioxidants are compounds in foods that prevent cell damage caused by free radicals.

Free radicals are normal byproducts of processes like metabolism that are formed in your body daily.

They often get a bad rap, but free radicals are essential for your health. They perform important functions, including protecting your body from disease.

However, things like smoking, alcohol use, and stress can cause an excess of free radicals. This leads to oxidative stress, which damages healthy cells (1Trusted Source).

Oxidative stress has been linked to chronic conditions like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and cancer, as well as premature aging and the risk of stroke (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).

Antioxidants like selenium help reduce oxidative stress by keeping free radical numbers in check (7Trusted Source).

They work by neutralizing excess free radicals and protecting cells from damage caused by oxidative stress.

SUMMARY: Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that fights oxidative stress and helps defend your body from chronic conditions, such as heart disease and cancer.

2. May reduce your risk of certain cancers

In addition to decreasing oxidative stress, selenium may help lower the risk of certain cancers.

This has been attributed to selenium’s ability to reduce DNA damage and oxidative stress, boost your immune system, and destroy cancer cells (8Trusted Source).

A review of 69 studies that included over 350,000 people found that having a high blood level of selenium was associated with a lower risk of certain types of cancer, including breast, lung, colon, and prostate cancers (9Trusted Source).

It’s important to note that this effect was only associated with selenium obtained through foods, not supplements.

However, some research suggests that supplementing with selenium may reduce side effects in people undergoing radiation therapy.

For example, one study found that oral selenium supplements improved overall quality of life and reduced radiation-induced diarrhea in women with cervical and uterine cancer (10Trusted Source).

SUMMARY: Higher blood levels of selenium may protect against certain cancers, while supplementing with selenium may help improve quality of life in people undergoing radiation therapy.

3. May protect against heart disease

A diet rich in selenium may help keep your heart healthy, as low selenium levels have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

In an analysis of 25 observational studies, a 50% increase in blood selenium levels was associated with a 24% reduction in the risk of heart disease (11Trusted Source).

Selenium may also lower markers of inflammation in your body⁠ — one of the main risk factors for heart disease.

For example, a review of 16 controlled studies including over 433,000 people with heart disease showed that taking selenium supplements decreased levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP).

Additionally, it increased levels of glutathione peroxidase, a powerful antioxidant (12Trusted Source).

This indicates that selenium may help lower heart disease risk by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in your body. Oxidative stress and inflammation have been linked to atherosclerosis, or the buildup of plaque in arteries.

Atherosclerosis can lead to dangerous health problems like strokes, heart attacks, and heart disease (13Trusted Source).

Incorporating selenium-rich foods into your diet is a great way to keep levels of oxidative stress and inflammation to a minimum.

SUMMARY: Selenium may help keep your heart healthy by keeping oxidative stress in check and reducing your risk of heart disease.

4. Helps prevent mental decline

Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating condition that causes memory loss and negatively affects thinking and behavior. It’s the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.

The number of people with Alzheimer’s disease is growing. Thus, finding ways to prevent this degenerative disease is imperative.

Oxidative stress is believed to be involved in both the onset and progression of neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s (14Trusted Source).

Several studies have shown that patients with Alzheimer’s disease have lower blood levels of selenium (15Trusted Source, 16).

Additionally, some studies have found that antioxidants in both foods and supplements may improve memory in patients with Alzheimer’s (17Trusted Source).

One small study found that supplementing with one selenium-rich Brazil nut per day improved verbal fluency and other mental functions in patients with mild cognitive impairment (18).

What’s more, the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in high-selenium foods like seafood and nuts, has been associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (19Trusted Source, 20).

SUMMARY: A diet rich in selenium may help prevent mental decline and improve memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

5. Is important for thyroid health

Selenium is important for the proper functioning of your thyroid gland. In fact, thyroid tissue contains a higher amount of selenium than any other organ in the human body (21Trusted Source).

This powerful mineral helps protect the thyroid against oxidative damage and plays an essential role in the production of thyroid hormones.

A healthy thyroid gland is important, as it regulates your metabolism and controls growth and development (22Trusted Source).

Selenium deficiency has been associated with thyroid conditions like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, a type of hypothyroidism in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland.

An observational study including over 6,000 people found that low serum levels of selenium were associated with an increased risk of autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism (23).

Additionally, some studies have shown that selenium supplements may benefit people with Hashimoto’s disease.

One review concluded that taking selenium supplements daily for three months resulted in lower thyroid antibodies. It also led to improvements in mood and general well-being in those with Hashimoto’s disease (24).

However, more research is needed before selenium supplements can be recommended for those with Hashimoto’s disease.

SUMMARY: Selenium protects the thyroid gland from oxidative stress and is necessary for thyroid hormone production. Selenium may help people with Hashimoto’s disease and other types of thyroid disease, but more research is needed.

6. Boosts your immune system

Your immune system keeps your body healthy by identifying and fighting off potential threats. These include bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

Selenium plays an important role in the health of your immune system. This antioxidant helps lower oxidative stress in your body, which reduces inflammation and enhances immunity.

Studies have demonstrated that increased blood levels of selenium are associated with enhanced immune response.

On the other hand, deficiency has been shown to harm immune cell function and may lead to a slower immune response (25Trusted Source).

Studies have also associated deficiency with an increased risk of death and disease progression in people with HIV, while supplements have been shown to lead to fewer hospitalizations and an improvement in symptoms for these patients (26Trusted Source).

Additionally, selenium supplements may help strengthen the immune system in people with influenza, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C (27Trusted Source).

SUMMARY: Selenium is crucial for the health and proper functioning of your immune system. Higher levels of selenium may help boost the immune systems of people with HIV, influenza, tuberculosis, and hepatitis C.

7. May help reduce asthma symptoms

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways that carry air in and out of the lungs.

These airways become inflamed and begin to narrow, causing symptoms like wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing (28Trusted Source).

Asthma has been associated with increased levels of oxidative stress and inflammation in the body (29Trusted Source).

Due to selenium’s ability to reduce inflammation, some studies suggest that this mineral may help reduce asthma-related symptoms.

Research suggests that people who have asthma have lower blood levels of selenium.

In fact, one study showed that asthmatic patients with higher levels of blood selenium had better lung function than those with lower levels (30Trusted Source).

Selenium supplements may also help reduce asthma-related symptoms.

For example, one study found that giving people with asthma 200 mcg of selenium per day reduced their use of the corticosteroid medications used to control their symptoms (31Trusted Source).

However, research in this area is conflicting, and larger studies are needed to fully understand selenium’s role in the development and treatment of asthma (32Trusted Source).

SUMMARY: Selenium may benefit people with asthma due to its ability to lower inflammation in the body. However, more research is needed.

Best dietary sources of selenium

Fortunately, many healthy foods are high in selenium.

The following foods are great sources (33Trusted Source), (34):

Oysters: 238% of the DV in 3 ounces (85 grams)
Brazil nuts: 174% of the DV in one nut (5 grams)
Halibut: 171% of the DV in 6 ounces (159 grams)
Yellowfin tuna: 167% of the DV in 3 ounces (85 grams)
Eggs: 56% of the DV in 2 large eggs (100 grams)
Sardines: 46% of the DV in 4 sardines (48 grams)
Sunflower seeds: 27% of the DV in 1 ounce (28 grams)
Chicken breast: 12% of the DV in 4 slices (84 grams)
Shiitake mushrooms: 10% of the DV in 1 cup (97 grams)

The amount of selenium in plant-based foods varies depending on the selenium content of the soil in which they were grown.

Thus, selenium concentrations in crops depend largely on where they are farmed.

For example, one study showed that the selenium concentration in Brazil nuts varied widely by region. While a single Brazil nut from one region provided up to 288% of the recommended intake, others provided only 11% (35).

Therefore, it’s important to consume a varied diet that includes more than one good source of this important mineral.

SUMMARY: Foods rich in selenium include seafood, nuts, and mushrooms. It’s important to consume a variety of foods that contain this mineral, as selenium content can vary depending on growing conditions.

Dangers of excessive selenium intake

Although selenium is necessary for good health, getting too much can be dangerous. In fact, consuming high doses of selenium can be toxic and even fatal.

While selenium toxicity is rare, it’s important to stay close to the recommended amount of 55 mcg per day and never exceed the tolerable upper limit of 400 mcg per day (36).

Brazil nuts contain a very high amount of selenium. Consuming too many could lead to selenium toxicity.

However, toxicity is more likely to happen from taking supplements rather than eating selenium-containing foods.

Signs of selenium toxicity include:

hair loss
dizziness
nausea
vomiting
facial flushing
tremors
muscle soreness

In severe cases, acute selenium toxicity can lead to serious intestinal and neurological symptoms, heart attack, kidney failure, and death (37).

SUMMARY: While selenium toxicity is rare, overconsumption of this mineral through diet or supplements can have dangerous side effects.

The bottom line

Selenium is a powerful mineral that is essential for the proper functioning of your body.

It plays a critical role in metabolism and thyroid function and helps protect your body from damage caused by oxidative stress.

What’s more, selenium may help boost your immune system, slow age-related mental decline, and even reduce your risk of heart disease.

This micronutrient can be found in a wide variety of foods, from oysters to mushrooms to Brazil nuts.

Adding more selenium-rich foods to your diet is an excellent way to maintain good health.

Let's Go Shopping!

Shop Now

Wholefood Supplements

Feel informed and confident knowing you are buying pure and wholesome supplement foods, from Oshun Health.

Buy Now

50% Discount for 1st time buyers

Don’t miss out on our 50% Citrus C Plus discount for first-time buyers, includes free delivery.

Family Combo Packs

We want to ensure your entire family benefits from our products, young and old.

Need to know anything?

See our FAQ page if you need more information or send us an email.

Wholefood Supplements

Fulvic Acid as a Potent Antiviral

Updated: 25 February 2025

Reading time: 10 minutes

Research shows that humic acid, of which fulvic acid forms part, binds so strongly to viruses that it can actually displace them from a cell surface. In vitro studies have shown, for example, that if you allow herpes simplex viruses to attach to host cells and then add humic acid to the solution, it will displace viruses from infected cell surfaces. That is, humic acid has a greater affinity for the virus than the virus does for the host cell. Thus, humic acid can actually displace a virus even after it has attached itself to the surface of a cell.[6]

The following article was originally posted by Michael Ash for the website of Clinical Education, a ‘Not for Profit’ organisation that brings a range of educational experiences to healthcare professionals. Follow Clinical Education by clicking on the following link: https://www.clinicaleducation.org/

The interview with Richard J Laub, MS, PhD, CChem, FRSC, was conducted by Focus Allergy Research Group.

*Note by Oshun Health: Humic Acids referred to in this article is the collective name for both humic acid and fulvic acid. In order to utilise humic acid, it is broken down to fulvic acid in the human gut. This is because humic acid is not soluble at the low pH (acidic) level of the stomach whereas fulvic acid is soluble at any pH level. The antiviral properties referred to in the article, therefore, applies to fulvic acid as well as humic acid.

An Interview with: Richard J Laub, MS, PhD, CChem, FRSC, is a chemist with nearly 150 peer-reviewed published research papers, sixteen patents, and numerous invited reviews and symposium presentations. He was formerly a professor of chemistry at The Ohio State University and San Diego State University, was a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in London, England, was an Alcoa fellow in San Diego, and a Science Research Council fellow in Swansea, Wales. For the last 17 years, Dr. Laub has focused exclusively on sourcing, analysing, studying, extracting and purifying humic acid, a remarkable high-mineral, healing substance with potent antiviral properties, found in ancient soil deposits.

Focus: You have devoted the last 17 years of your life to researching humic acid, an extract of ancient organic soil deposits. These ancient soil deposits—named humus, or humin, from the Greek word for soil—can be found all over the world and contain highly-concentrated minerals and healing substances. It’s interesting that in essence, the soil that nourishes plant life–and later the plant that dies and becomes part of the soil–contains such potent healing substances. Can you give us some basic facts about humic and fulvic acids before we discuss the health benefits?

RJL: Both humic and fulvic acids are extracts from composted organic matter and prove to be excellent mineral supplements. They excel at providing all the trace minerals we need. Fulvic acid is a small and somewhat rigid molecule, with a molecular weight of about 1,500 daltons (a dalton is a unit of mass commonly used in chemistry). Humic acid is equally potent as a mineral supplement, but is a much heavier, bigger molecule. It weighs about 50,000 daltons. Humic acid is flexible, because it is made up of many chains of molecules. It looks a bit like a series of wagon wheels, one inside the other, with spokes going from one wheel to the next. This flexibility is a very important contributor to its antiviral properties.

Focus: What do these very different shapes—small and rigid, or large and flexible—mean in terms of human health?

RJL: Because of its size and flexibility, certain humic acids from particular soil deposits turn out to be potent, broad-spectrum antivirals. That is because humic acid contains many kinds of “functional groups” (specific groups of atoms) that can bind to a multitude of viruses. Research has shown certain humic acids to be effective in vitro against a wide range of viruses, including influenza, HSV, HIV, and others.[1],[2],[3],[4],[5]

Focus: How exactly does humic acid bind to a virus?

RJL: Binding occurs through hydrogen bonding. Electropositive atoms attract electronegative atoms. These are the same forces that hold DNA together. What is remarkable is that humic acid, with its many kinds of functional groups, binds more strongly to viruses than do our own cells. Certain humic acids from certain soil deposits are essentially like a really, really sticky piece of Velcro. Viruses also have really sticky sites—that’s how they manage to bind to a host cell. When these two very sticky pieces of Velcro come together they bind together very strongly.

Focus: Can you explain what a virus does once it attaches to a cell receptor?

RJL: It essentially pokes a hole in the cell, and injects either its RNA or DNA–its genomic material–into the cell. At that point the virus has essentially spent itself, but the viral material inside the cell uses the cell’s machinery to create more viruses, which then leave the cell and go on to bind to and infect other cells.

Focus: What happens to a virus when it binds to humic acid instead of a cell surface?

RJL: Humic acid essentially neutralises a virus’s chemical “stickiness”. Doing so in turn prevents the virus from reproducing since it can no longer attach (“fuse”) to the surface of a host cell. The immune system can then begin to eliminate the virus (largely through the action of macrophages). Also, viruses don’t live forever: if not allowed to reproduce, influenza viruses, for example, die out in 36-48 hours.

Focus: What happens if viruses have already attached to your cells? Can humic acid help?

RJL: Humic acid binds so strongly to viruses that it can actually displace them from a cell surface. In vitro studies have shown, for example, that if you allow herpes simplex viruses to attach to host cells and then add humic acid to the solution, it will displace viruses from infected cell surfaces. That is, humic acid has a greater affinity for the virus than the virus does for the host cell. Thus, humic acid can actually displace a virus even after it has attached itself to the surface of a cell.[6]

Focus: That’s quite amazing—that this natural substance can displace viruses that have already locked onto cells. Is this true of any humic acid from around the world?

RJL: No. Humic acid varies dramatically from site to site. Humic acids from different deposits have very different physicochemical properties. Just like coal—the coal from South Africa is very different in makeup than the coal from Birmingham in Britain. For instance, one of the better-known humic acid deposits in the United States occurs in the state of New Mexico, where humic acid is mined for agriculture–as a fertiliser–and also for the petroleum industry as a drilling mud additive. From an agricultural standpoint New Mexico humic acid is great, but it is not very effective at combating human viruses. A lot of the research I carried out in the early days was simply obtaining samples of humic acid from around the world and testing them to see which ones were efficacious against human viral disease. Remember, humic acid is the result of composted organic matter that is 50-100,000 years old, and that can be found almost anywhere—places where there are freshwater deposits and vegetation living around freshwater lakes, other places where there are saltwater deposits and decomposed organic matter at the edge of marine environments. Some humic acids come from decomposed forests, others from marshes, peat bogs, or scrub-brush. Any plant can be composted into humic acid, but the enormous variety of plant life means that each source of humic acid is unique.

Focus: Once you found the ideal antiviral humic acid, what did you do?

RJL: The next challenge was to purify and sterilise it without degrading it. When you first dig humic acid out of the ground it is dark-brown or even black. Shilajit is a very crude form of humic acid that has been used around the world for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. The most familiar form of humic acid looks like coal, and is sometimes called leonardite or brown coal—though it isn’t actually coal. So, the challenge was to extract the humic acid without damaging it. Methodologies suitable for sterilisation of the final processed product also took very considerable research and development. (The original microbes that created the humus are of course long since dead, but other bacteria and moulds flourish in such soil deposits.) Overall, ten solid years of research and development were required to identify a quality source of humic acid that could also be purified and sterilised without diminishing its effectiveness as a human antiviral agent.

Focus: If one takes humic acid orally, when do peak blood levels occur?

RJL: Peak levels occur at about four hours. By eight to twelve hours the substance is pretty much cleared out of the bloodstream.

Focus: Do you think it has any other special properties beyond being a great mineral source and a potent antiviral?

RJL: Some researchers claim it boosts the immune system, but I’m not convinced it does so directly.[7] I think that humic acid’s wide spectrum of important trace minerals, coupled with its antiviral properties, result in a stronger immune system indirectly. Some of the trace minerals are present in very, very tiny amounts—just a few parts per million—but that’s exactly what we need to support enzyme functions among other things. I also think there are a lot of viruses we are all carrying that haven’t yet been identified (“stealth” viruses). But humic acid will bind to them, regardless.

Focus: That just shows you the broad-spectrum action of humic acid, so that it’s likely to work on many viruses we carry that have not yet been identified. I assume you take it yourself?

RJL: Of course. And I haven’t had a cold or the flu since 2004. Not one.

References

[1] F. J. Lu, S. N. Tseng, et al. In Vitro Anti-Influenza Virus Activity of Synthetic Humate Analogues Derived from Protocatechuic Acid. Arch. Virol. 2002, 147(2), 273-284 View Abstract

[2] C. E. J. van Rensburg, J. Dekker, et al. Investigations of the Anti- HIV Properties of Oxihumate. Chemotherapy 2002, 48(3), 138-143. View Abstract

[3] G. Kornilaeva, A. Becovich, et al. New Humic Acid Derivative as Potent Inhibitor of HIV-1 Replication. Med. Gen. Med. 2004, 6(3), A10360 View Summary PDF

[4] R. Kloecking, B. Helbig, G. Schotz, et al. Anti-HSV-1 Activity of Synthetic Humic Acid-Like Polymers Derived from p-Diphenolic Starting Compounds. Arch. Chem. Chemother. 2002, 13(4), 241-249

[5] Laub Biochem Specialty Labsl, 2001-2002, research conducted by contract for Virology Branch of the Antiviral Research and Antimicrobial Chemistry Program (Dr. Christopher Tseng, Program Officer), Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID) Screening and Testing Program for Antiviral, Immunomodulatory, Antitumor and/or Drug Delivery Activities, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), under the auspices of the National Institutes of Health (NIH, Bethesda, Maryland)

[6] Laub Biochem Specialty Labs, Humic Acid Inhibition of HSV Infection. 1998

[7] G. K. Joone, J. Dekker, et al. Investigation of the Immunostimulatory Properties of Oxihumates. Z. Naturforsch. C: J. Biosci. 2003, 58(3/4) 263-267. PMID: 12710739 View Abstract LinkedInFacebookTwitterEmailPrintMor

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

Do natural products have a role to play in the fight against Corona Viruses and, more importantly, when a person is already symptomatic with a disease caused by these viruses? | Oshun Health – […] Fulvic Acid: Research shows that, because of the strong positive charge on humic acids, of which fulvic acid forms…