Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

Selenium may be one of the best and easiest ways to reduce thyroid antibodies if you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Graves’ disease. Selenium is a trace mineral that is necessary for the function of certain enzymes and proteins. One of the functions of selenium is to create glutathione which acts to protect the thyroid gland from oxidative stress. When selenium is low, your thyroid gland is open to damage just from creating thyroid hormones. Taking selenium has been shown in several studies to help lower thyroid antibodies and even balance thyroid hormone levels like free t3 and free T4. There is some conflicting information, though, regarding selenium supplementation as not all studies suggest that it’s effective. The reason for this is probably because selenium supplementation works best for those people who need it and who are deficient. Should you take selenium as a thyroid patient? I think so because the benefits far outweigh the potential negative side effects and, even if it doesn’t help