“Selenium should be given in the form of sodium selenite when used therapeutically for thyroid disease because this is specifically incorporated into the important selenium-dependent enzyme systems and not non-specifically in proteins in the body. Some people think they can ensure a sufficient supply of selenium by eating Brazil nuts. This is also recommended in the press and other media to some degree.
Brazil nuts, however, on the one hand probably contain much more organically bound selenium than sodium selenite but on the other hand can be contaminated with aflatoxin. These are toxins of mold fungi. Furthermore, surprisingly, they also store radioactivity.
So if you permanently eat a large amount of Brazil nuts to maintain or increase your selenium levels, this could also have negative health consequences. That’s why the drug sodium selenite is preferably recommended.”
Anneli Hainel, MD, general practitioner, specialised in thyroid diseases, Mainz, Germany
What are the advantages of sodium selenite?
Selenium is available in both inorganic and organic form. Both are utilized differently by the body.
In the soil and groundwater, selenium occurs in its inorganic form due to its higher solubility – primarily as sodium selenite. In the metabolism of plants and animals, it is converted into organic selenium compounds.
The human organism can easily absorb inorganic selenium and incorporate it into the corresponding proteins in a very targeted manner as needed. Excess sodium selenite is excreted through the urine and the breath. This prevents it from accumulating in the body in a harmful way.
Organic selenium compounds (selenomethionine, selenium yeast), on the other hand, are also incorporated non-specifically into proteins by the body and stored unregulated in the tissue. In the long run, this can lead to an unhealthy overdose.
Therefore, only sodium selenite is approved as a medicinal product. Sodium selenite is also mainly used in scientific studies. Dietary supplements, on the other hand, can also contain selenomethionine or selenium yeast. Those who want to avoid the disadvantages of organic selenium compounds should also look for preparations with sodium selenite in dietary supplements.
</div
