When should selenium be taken? In the morning or in the evening?

The amounts of certain elements that need to be supplied to the body to meet the needs of an adult can be virtually invisible to the naked eye. Their weights are expressed on a micro scale, i.e. in hundredths of a milligram. Nevertheless, they perform a number of important functions in terms of overall development, or maintaining or regaining health. Selenium is a good example of this.

1. What is selenium?
2. What is the recommended intake of selenium?
3. When to take selenium?

What is selenium?

Selenium is a microelement that is nutritionally important for humans. Its main function in the body is to help regulate thyroid activity (optimising hormone levels) and many physiological processes, as well as the body's ability to fight free radicals (regulating glutathione levels) and alleviate oxidative stress.

The highest amounts of selenium in the body are found in the thyroid gland and skeletal muscles. In inanimate nature (e.g. in drinking water in some geographical regions), it occurs in the form of selenate and selenite, while in food products, selenium is mainly present in the form of selenocysteine and selenomethionine. Each of these forms can contribute to maintaining nutritional status. However, the highest amounts of this microelement are found in Brazil nuts, seafood and offal. The consumption of cereals, meat and fish can also help regulate selenium levels in the body.

What is the recommended intake of selenium?

Although both selenium deficiency and excess are harmful, it is particularly worth noting that approximately 10% of the world's population may be deficient in this trace element. An insufficient supply of selenium in the diet, especially over a prolonged period, contributes to hypothyroidism, cardiomyopathy, weakened immune system, mental fatigue and cognitive disorders, as well as developmental disorders in children, which can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders.

Adults need about 55 µg of selenium per day, with the exception of pregnant and breastfeeding women, for whom the values are 60 and 70 µg, respectively. The requirement for children increases between birth and 13-15 years of age from 15 to 55 µg.

When to take selenium?

The diets most deficient in selenium are those that are not very varied, but rich in highly processed foods. What is more, people who consume low-protein diets are at risk of selenium deficiency, as protein facilitates its absorption.

Selenium supplementation should be considered when the above-mentioned foods are rarely included in the diet, as well as in cases of people undergoing long-term dialysis, struggling with HIV, or at risk of heart and thyroid disease or dementia. Selenium is best taken with a protein-rich meal, so it can be taken either in the morning or in the evening.