224-SYNCPodcast_Selenium

[00:00:00] Jenny Swisher: Welcome friends to this episode of the Sync Your Life podcast. As I record this today, I’m sitting in my office looking out the window. It’s about 9 30 PM and the full moon is shining bright in the sky. So I realized that by the time this launches, we’ll be well past the full moon, but. Sending all my full moon vibes and energy today on the podcast.

[00:01:19] Jenny Swisher: In case you didn’t know, women are lunar beings, and so we are very much a part of the moon cycles, and I’m feeling that today myself as well. Okay, so today we’re diving into the power of selenium, specifically for thyroid health. I have done so many spotlights on the podcast on various nutrients, minerals, and vitamins, but we have yet to discuss selenium in detail.

[00:01:39] Jenny Swisher: So, today’s the day. An estimated 20 million Americans struggle with thyroid conditions. Over 60 percent of which don’t even know that they have a thyroid issue. I am actually seeing this come up more and more in the consults that I have with women. And the truth is, I believe that many are struggling and are under diagnosed due to improper testing techniques by a lot of physicians.

[00:02:01] Jenny Swisher: In Friday’s episode of the podcast, I shared a clip from a recent live Q and A hosted by Dr. Page and I, where we talk about proper thyroid testing. And I also have an entire episode dedicated to thyroid testing. So I’ll make sure that I link both of those episodes up for you in the show notes. But the reality is that most women are only being screened for their TSH, which is your driving hormone for thyroid.

[00:02:22] Jenny Swisher: It stands for thyroid stimulating hormone. But there are actually other markers for thyroid that can be checked, especially if you’re symptomatic or if you have a family history of thyroid issues. And so while we’re not going to be talking about thyroid testing today, because I have episodes to link up for you that go in deep detail for that, we are going to be talking about nutritional ways to boost your thyroid health, specifically with selenium.

[00:02:45] Jenny Swisher: There are various aspects of thyroid health that go without saying, and we’ve mentioned them on the podcast before. So things like iodine, vitamin D3, making sure that you’re eliminating gluten from your diet, especially if you are a thyroid sufferer. But selenium tends to get under discussed, and I want to dive into its superpowers today.

[00:03:03] Jenny Swisher: We have some new research out that is proving that selenium can be quite powerful for thyroid health. So let’s start with the basics, right? Let’s start with our definition. What is selenium? Well, selenium is a mineral found in the soil. It is an essential trace element that’s required for thyroid hormone synthesis, and it also exerts antioxidant effects.

[00:03:24] Jenny Swisher: It naturally appears in water and in some foods. While people only need a very small amount, selenium plays a key role in their metabolism.

[00:03:34] Jenny Swisher: So I want us to think about our thyroid as a thermostat that regulates our metabolism. Therefore, it makes sense that selenium can play a vital role here. Selenium is known for its role in thyroid health, although I should mention to you of it can actually be problematic, so small amounts should be the goal.

[00:03:49] Jenny Swisher: But it’s also known for its role in cognition and brain health. For adults, the recommended daily allowance of selenium is 55 micrograms per day. So if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you actually have a higher amount required for you. So what types of foods have selenium naturally occurring? After all, food is medicine.

[00:04:09] Jenny Swisher: Brazil nuts, which we will discuss, are the best source. But other sources include seafood, lean meats, rice, eggs, and oats. While selenium can be supplemented in capsule form, I find that just three Brazil nuts per day can do the trick. One bag of Brazil nuts will actually get you a long way. So, I will link up my favorite brand for you in the show notes.

[00:04:31] Jenny Swisher: In a recent study, it was concluded that in people with Hashimoto’s disease, without THRT, selenium was effective and safe in lowering TSH, thyroid antibodies, and MDA levels. Now, I won’t read the nitty gritty of the study, but I will link it up for you so that you can read it on your own time. But to put it in layman’s terms, Dr.

[00:04:49] Jenny Swisher: Laura Bryden says, quote, Specifically, a selenium supplement can result in a healthy reduction of both TSH and thyroid antibodies. It works by being a structural component of selenoproteins, which regulate thyroid hormone, protect against oxidative damage, and reduce inflammation, end quote. She also says, I’m so glad this is mainstream now.

[00:05:10] Jenny Swisher: This is the stuff that naturopathic doctors and nutritionists have been saying for years. Let food be our medicine, and let us pay attention to the power of plants when it comes to remedying our health. Your body doesn’t make selenium, so the only way that you can get it is through food or supplements.

[00:05:26] Jenny Swisher: Most people meet their requirements, but some are at greater risk for deficiency. So, let’s talk more about selenium’s impact on the thyroid. In adults, the thyroid has the highest concentration of selenium in the body. This mineral plays a key role in your thyroid gland’s ability to produce thyroid hormone, which is TSH.

[00:05:46] Jenny Swisher: A selenium deficiency is associated with a variety of different issues, including hypothyroidism, autoimmune Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an enlarged thyroid, also known as a goiter, Graves disease, and even thyroid cancer. Iodine is the building block and the key ingredient of thyroid hormone. Iodine requires selenium in order to be synthesized properly into thyroid hormone.

[00:06:11] Jenny Swisher: Having the right amount of selenium in your diet is vital, not just for preventing thyroid disease, but for your overall health. is important for reproduction and DNA synthesis, and it helps protect you from infection and damage resulting from oxidative stress. So if you’re someone dealing with a selenium deficiency, and therefore thyroid conditions and issues, It can affect fertility, it can give headaches, and so many more things when it comes to our health.

[00:06:37] Jenny Swisher: So incorporating the recommended daily allowance of selenium through just three brazil nuts per day can go a long way. My friends, I know this is just a short deep dive, but selenium is really showing a lot of promise in the research. It’s showing a lot of promise in helping women with thyroid conditions.

[00:06:54] Jenny Swisher: So, I encourage you, ask your doctor about it. If you’ve been diagnosed with a thyroid condition, it never hurts to ask your doctor to step into the driver’s seat of being your own best advocate and to say, hey, this is something that I heard on this podcast or this is something that I read in the research and I’m wondering if it can benefit me.

[00:07:10] Jenny Swisher: I hope that this helps you in some way. If you know someone that’s dealing with a thyroid condition or if you’re dealing with it yourself, share this out. We need to understand that our thyroid is our thermostat. And we’ve got to take care of it. We’ve got to help regulate our body’s metabolism. If we notice that our body is feeling sluggish or if it’s not changing the way that it used to, if you’re starting to notice different symptoms creep up, like cold hands and feet or just sluggishness and trouble sleeping, different issues that are creeping up for you, especially in midlife, having deeper testing on your thyroid can be a game changer.

[00:07:41] Jenny Swisher: The four legged hormone chair, my friends is so crucial and I want to just bring that back full center for you here in case it’s been a while since you’ve heard me use this analogy, let’s talk about it briefly. The four legged hormone chair, if you picture just an average kitchen chair with four legs, right?

[00:07:54] Jenny Swisher: This represents your endocrine system. One leg of the chair is your thyroid. One leg of the chair is your blood sugar. One leg of the chair is your cortisol or your adrenals and one leg of the chair or your sex hormone. If something is off with your thyroid, right, if you are dealing with some sort of deficiency or if you’re dealing with some sort of thyroid condition, If that’s going to make the entire chair wobbly, right?

[00:08:17] Jenny Swisher: It’s going to affect, it could impact your menstrual cycle. It could impact everything else playing a role in your endocrine system. In fact, your thyroid and your adrenals are actually, if you’re looking at it as a hierarchy, are actually kind of the top of the hierarchy. So they really, really matter when it comes to your overall hormone health.

[00:08:33] Jenny Swisher: So if you’re not getting the in depth testing and you’re symptomatic. Or if you have a family history, I encourage you to advocate for yourself for that proper testing, to start incorporating Brazil nuts into your diet each day. Even just two or three of them can go a long way. And to ask your doctor about this specific topic yourself.

[00:08:50] Jenny Swisher: Okay, my friends, I hope you’ve learned something today that can benefit you. Thank you so much for tuning in until next time. We’ll talk soon. Bye bye.