Women and Selenium

             There is no doubt a woman’s body is different from a man’s – and more complex. Men do not experience the amazing miracle of pregnancy and childbirth, nor do they suffer monthly menstrual cramps or period pains. Because of their special physiology and the fact that women normally have primary responsibility for raising children, women tend to be much more concerned about their own health and the family’s healthcare.

I taught a class on how selenium affects HIV disease to Catholic charity nurses

 in Lusaka, Zambia in 2004

            I am an independent health researcher and somewhat expert on selenium but not on women’s health. Most of this column is based on medical science, but some is anecdotal, gleaned over a dozen years from thousands of conversations with pharmacists, nurse practitioners and women who have taken selenium and reported their experiences to me.      

            The mineral selenium is the key ingredient in the immune system and the immune system affects practically every aspect of health. It is no wonder that selenium supplements often have positive effects on various aspects of women’s health. As nature’s strongest natural antioxidant and natural anti-inflammatory, it is no surprise selenium acts to reduce pain in many ways, from headaches to monthly period pains and arthritis. Still, selenium supplements are not a complete solution to any of the health problems women uniquely suffer.  

            Over a hundred women have told me that selenium tablets, taken one per day, significantly reduce their monthly menstrual period pains or cramps. I cannot dispute Mother Nature. You may try them yourself and see.

            According to textbooks on nutrition, a healthy woman has the highest need for selenium when she is breastfeeding and the second highest when she is pregnant. When a woman is breastfeeding, she is transferring her immune system to her baby through the white blood cells in mother’s milk. Selenium is concentrated in the immune white blood cells. As a mother transfers part of her immune system to her baby, who lacks a fully developed immune system, the mother needs a greater intake of selenium to replenish her own supply.   

            Some couples are infertile and cannot have a baby. There can be many different reasons for this - due to the husband or the wife. Selenium supplements are known to improve fertility for both sexes and may, in some cases, solve this problem.

            Because selenium supplements can help with so many problems related to pregnancy one could call them pregnancy insurance. Taking a selenium tablet a day is not only safe during pregnancy, it is highly recommended. Both the developing baby and the mother benefit. Like every cell in the human body, every cell in the developing fetus also requires selenium. According to nurses, selenium reduces morning sickness. According to science, selenium reduces the chance of viral infection during pregnancy which is especially important during the first half of pregnancy since viral infection early in pregnancy can lead to birth defects and life-long diseases. Medical science also reports that later in pregnancy higher levels of selenium reduce the chance of high blood pressure and lower the chance of miscarriage and premature birth. Nothing can guarantee a successful pregnancy, but selenium tablets reduce the chance of having a problem pregnancy.

            Women suffer autoimmune diseases like arthritis and lupus twice as often as men. Autoimmunity occurs when a person’s immune system begins to attack their own body. Women probably suffer a higher rate of such diseases because a woman’s immune system is more sensitive than a man’s. It has to be more sensitive since during pregnancy, if the fetus is being malformed or has a genetic defect, the woman’s system needs to be able to sense this and reject the unborn baby through spontaneous abortion – a miscarriage.

            Menopause normally lasts for between three and five years between the ages of forty-five and fifty-five. However, it can occur years earlier due to malnutrition or underlying disease conditions such as HIV. In some cases, women who have entered premature menopause due to HIV have regained their menstrual cycle after taking selenium supplements.  Symptoms of menopause include hot flashes and mood swings. Women of a certain age say selenium, “works like a bomb” against these symptoms.

            Finally, women tend to live longer than men, so they also suffer the aggravation of multiple health problems later in life. The immune system declines after the age of sixty so “fueling up” the immune system by taking selenium tablets often alleviates more than just one problem related to the aches and pains of aging. They also increase energy levels and reduce depression.

[essay originally written in 2017]