Selenium & Zinc: a great duo for your resistance!

Minerals, like vitamins, are substances that occur in small amounts in our diet. They are important building blocks for the skeleton, cells and tissues, but also for your digestion. Selenium (selenium) and zinc are among the best-known minerals. Not for nothing, because both are essential nutrients and strong antioxidants. In this blog we mainly focus on selenium: what is it, what does it do, why does Golden Naturals combine it with zinc and what should you pay attention to when you buy a supplement with selenium?

Little selenium in food

Selenium, also called selenium, is a mineral with many qualities. We get it in small amounts through food. Selenium is found in both animal and plant foods. Think of (organ) meat, fish, shellfish, poultry and eggs. Selenium is also found in vegetables such as broccoli and mushrooms, whole grain products, oatmeal, seeds and kernels. The largest source of selenium is Brazil nuts: 1 or 2 of these nuts every day already provides an excellent intake of selenium.

How much selenium per day?

The small amount in food is mainly due to the small amount of selenium in Dutch agricultural land. As a result, the Dutch ingest relatively little selenium naturally. The Health Council has set a minimum amount for selenium at 70 micrograms per day. The upper limit, set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), is 300 micrograms per day for adults. However, various food consumption surveys show that the Dutch consume only 45 micrograms of selenium per day on average. Of this, 10 percent comes from dietary supplements.

Why is selenium so important?

Selenium plays a major role in many important processes in our body. To start with, selenium is a powerful antioxidant: antioxidants are substances that protect body cells against harmful substances from outside. Selenium has a synergistic effect with other antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E: they enhance each other's antioxidant properties. A valuable property of selenium is its influence on the thyroid gland: selenium is also necessary for normal production of the thyroid hormone and the functioning of the thyroid gland. By the way, did you know that both women and men benefit from an adequate intake of selenium? It is good for the condition of the hair and nails and for the fertility of the man. Selenium influences, among other things, the motility of sperm.

Which form of selenium supplement is better?

If there is an increased need for selenium, it can be smart to supplement it with a supplement. Selenium is found in both inorganic and organic forms in food and dietary supplements. In the organic form, selenium is bound to amino acids such as selenomethionine and selenocysteine. These ensure optimal 'transport' through the body and therefore good absorption. So pay attention to the form of selenium: preferably choose organic, easily absorbable forms: L-selenomethionine or L-selenocysteine.

Easily absorbable selenium

Selenium & Zinc from Golden Naturals is a composition of selenium (L-selenomethionine), zinc, silicon, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E. Since a good absorption and influence of selenium partly depends on the balance with other minerals, we have zinc and organic silicon added to this product. Zinc is present in all body tissues and is mainly concentrated in the cell nucleus. It plays an important role in various processes in the body, including the process of cell division and hormone regulation. It is also involved in the normal construction and breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and DNA. Like selenium, zinc has a positive influence on the immune system and plays a role in normal acid-base balance. This product also contains vitamin A for the mucous membranes in the lungs and vitamins C and E to support the natural defense system of the body cells. Vitamin C and vitamin E also increase the antioxidant effect of selenium. In short: a high-quality and excellent product for the protection of healthy cells and tissues.