Best Type of Selenium for Glutathione, Mercury (Pros and Cons)

[Lotus97]

Selenium has been indicated for increasing Glutathione and also Mercury detoxification. I'm not sure if there's any drawbacks to using Selenium for Glutathione production, but for Mercury it seems like there can be some possible issues. Although Selenium is usually recommended for Mercury, Selenium can mobilize mercury which is fine if you are able to eliminate it, but if too much is released that can cause problems. My questions include

• What are the upper limits of Selenium supplementation? I've read 200-400mcg.
• Has anyone used Selenium for Mercury detox?
• Is Selenium absorbed better when taken with a meal or on an empty stomach? I've read that minerals absorbed better on an empty stomach.
• Does Vitamin C interfere with Selenium absorption? Or any other minerals?
• Which forms are best? Yeast, Chelated/Chelate, Selenomethionine, Selenite, Selenate, Methylselenocysteine/L-Se-Methyl-Selenocysteine/SeMSC

 

[Anteah]

Hi Lotus97, I'll just share what I know:

• What are the upper limits of Selenium supplementation? I've read 200-400mcg.

I've read that 400mcg is the upper limit, but I am sure it is individual. I feel the best at 300mcg.

• Has anyone used Selenium for Mercury detox?

I doubt that it will be strong enough when used individually.

• Is Selenium absorbed better when taken with a meal or on an empty stomach? I've read that minerals absorbed better on an empty stomach.

Not sure, but what you read makes sense.

• Does Vitamin C interfere with Selenium absorption? Or any other minerals?

Vitamin C should always be taken away from minerals and from what I read from just about everything else as well. I know it is pretty inconvenient.

• Which forms are best? Yeast, Chelated/Chelate, Selenomethionine, Selenite, Selenate, Methylselenocysteine/L-Se-Methyl-Selenocysteine/SeMSC

Selenomethionine is apparently the best.

 

[dbkita]

One thing you can try if you have to is a buffered form of vitamin C (sodium or Mg or some such). Adreno turned me onto this and from what I have researched I don't think you will have as much cross-reaction with mineral you supplement. It has made a noticeable difference for me so far, meaning I may eventually have decrease some of my mineral supplements.

 

[justy]

Selenium worked best for me when i was also taking Vitamin C. I did take them together and that seemed fine for me. Supplementation with Selenium at 400mcg is not recommended long term. You should only take it at this dose for a couple of months. 100 - 200mcg is a maintenance dose and long term i would only take 100. If you regularly eat brazil nuts you need to be careful too as they contain very high amounts of selenium.

Selenium was one of the best supplements i ever took - but it can be very dangerous if too much is taken (can cause death) not trying to be doom and gloom, just think it's important that people know that some supps can build up and be dangerous - as well as useful.

I'm not sure what type i took, but it was in drops form. I may go back to it now as i havent taken it for quite a while, and i know from testing my Glutathione is low - not sure about my mercury status, but i do have some fillings.

All the best, Justy.

 

[Lotus97]

One thing you can try if you have to is a buffered form of vitamin C (sodium or Mg or some such). Adreno turned me onto this and from what I have researched I don't think you will have as much cross-reaction with mineral you supplement. It has made a noticeable difference for me so far, meaning I may eventually have decrease some of my mineral supplements.

Are you saying it's the acidic nature of vitamin C that affects minerals? Because I also mix my minerals with other acidic things like Carnitine and Creatine AKG. Can I buffer those too with something like baking soda?

 

[pela]

My impression is that only sodium selenite is toxic. Organic selenium is not. I have read about this in relation to livestock, since I live in a selenium-deficient region. Horses and other grazing animals in selenium-poor regions need selenium supplementation, and while organic selenium is considered safe and is absorbed well, sodium selenite is considered toxic in high doses.

Here's a link that points out the difference between sodium selenite and organic selenium in the human diet:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/22/is-your-multivitamin-toxic.aspx

 

[dbkita]

Are you saying it's the acidic nature of vitamin C that affects minerals? Because I also mix my minerals with other acidic things like Carnitine and Creatine AKG. Can I buffer those too with something like baking soda?

The body tries to bind the ascorbic acid to any minerals it has available in the gut such as calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium and then flushes these down the colon. The net effect is only about 25-30% of your ascorbic acid is generally bioavailable to the bloodstream. So all these years it turns out when taking 8 g of vitamin C non buffered powder as ascorbic acid I was chelating my own minerals in my gut. D'oh!

Dr Robert Cathcart preferred sodium ascorbate over the other chelates (though he did advocate ascorbic acid for many patients) since it has high bioavailability and long half-life. Sodium ascorbate is the only one Dr Cathcart used in IVs. I have had IVs with ascorbic acid, they were absolute disasters!

 

[Lotus97]

I was thinking Methylselenocysteine/L-Se-Methyl-Selenocysteine/SeMSC would be best for raising glutathione because it has the cysteine molecule.

 

[Rolo]

• Which forms are best? Yeast, Chelated/Chelate, Selenomethionine, Selenite, Selenate, Methylselenocysteine/L-Se-Methyl-Selenocysteine/SeMSC

Selenomethionine is apparently the best.

I also want to try Selenium and I can choose between 'Selenomethionine' or the yeast form. Unable to find SeMSC or other forms. As advised by Anteh I would go for 'Selenomethionine' but I just have noticed that Equilibrant contains the yeast form. So I'm not sure any more. Is there a consensus that 'Selenomethionine' is the best choice.


Best Regards,
Rolo

 

[Rolo]

One thing you can try if you have to is a buffered form of vitamin C (sodium or Mg or some such). Adreno turned me onto this and from what I have researched I don't think you will have as much cross-reaction with mineral you supplement. It has made a noticeable difference for me so far, meaning I may eventually have decrease some of my mineral supplements.

I'm taking a mix of Calciumascorbaat and Magnesiumascorbaat. May I conclude that I'm relative save then?

Thanks Rolo

 

[Rand56]

I also want to try Selenium and I can choose between 'Selenomethionine' or the yeast form. Unable to find SeMSC or other forms. As advised by Anteh I would go for 'Selenomethionine' but I just have noticed that Equilibrant contains the yeast form. So I'm not sure any more. Is there a consensus that 'Selenomethionine' is the best choice.


Best Regards,
Rolo

I believe most supplement retailers don't carry the Methylselenocysteine kind. Atleast thats what I found out here locally when I went to try to find it at a bunch of local stores here. Easily obtainable online though and thats where I got mine from.. Got in on amazon from Complimentary Prescriptions.

 

[Symptomatic]

I just purchased L-selenomethionine tablets from The Vitamin Shoppe this week. It's available online, but I drove to a nearby store and therefore was able to start immediately.

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=VS-1389#.UUxb5knD_IU

 

[Rolo]

I believe most supplement retailers don't carry the Methylselenocysteine kind. Atleast thats what I found out here locally when I went to try to find it at a bunch of local stores here. Easily obtainable online though and thats where I got mine from.. Got in on amazon from Complimentary Prescriptions.

Thanks for the advice.
Do you think that Methylselenocysteine is a better choice then Selenomethionine??

 

[Freddd]

Selenium has been indicated for increasing Glutathione and also Mercury detoxification. I'm not sure if there's any drawbacks to using Selenium for Glutathione production, but for Mercury it seems like there can be some possible issues. Although Selenium is usually recommended for Mercury, Selenium can mobilize mercury which is fine if you are able to eliminate it, but if too much is released that can cause problems. My questions include

• What are the upper limits of Selenium supplementation? I've read 200-400mcg.
• Has anyone used Selenium for Mercury detox?
• Is Selenium absorbed better when taken with a meal or on an empty stomach? I've read that minerals absorbed better on an empty stomach.
• Does Vitamin C interfere with Selenium absorption? Or any other minerals?
• Which forms are best? Yeast, Chelated/Chelate, Selenomethionine, Selenite, Selenate, Methylselenocysteine/L-Se-Methyl-Selenocysteine/SeMSC

Hi Lotus,

The Methylselenocysteine is the form in the Jarrow 200mcg. We have a local plant that concentrates selenium. It's common name is loco weed. Animals eat to much and they get neurological damage. Vitamins C usually helps absorb most minerals. The directions say nothing about with or without food. I take with meals. I have no idea what form is best.

Selenium can mobilize mercury which is fine if you are able to eliminate it, but if too much is released that can cause problems

Selenium doesn't mobilize mercury. Selenium combines with mercury in place and the two of them combine into a completely inert compound that sits there not reacting with anything until death when it turns into hundreds of alien babies waiting to pop out through chewed holes all over your body and eats everybody at the funeral. Seriously though, once it is permanently immobilized it will never bother anybody again.

 

[dbkita]

I'm taking a mix of Calciumascorbaat and Magnesiumascorbaat. May I conclude that I'm relative save then?

Thanks Rolo

Yep.

 

[ahmo]

I also want to try Selenium and I can choose between 'Selenomethionine' or the yeast form. Unable to find SeMSC or other forms. As advised by Anteh I would go for 'Selenomethionine' but I just have noticed that Equilibrant contains the yeast form. So I'm not sure any more. Is there a consensus that 'Selenomethionine' is the best choice.

Best Regards,
Rolo

Hi Rolo. I've been asking this question for some time, haven't found a definitive answer. I'd understood that the cysteine is more easily used, or more efficiently, but I no longer trust some of my understandings! I was using Life Extension Selenocysteine, but it's been reformulated to include rice powder, so I'm switching to selenomethionine, of which there are several choices. I'm also unable to use the Jarrow product Freddd recommends due to my sulfur intolerance. ahmo

 

[Rand56]

Thanks for the advice.
Do you think that Methylselenocysteine is a better choice then Selenomethionine??

hi Rolo

I've heard both are good. For the longest time I've taken selenomethione but then I figured I'd try MSC. What I like about the brand I have now, it's caps and has less fillers than the tabs I was used to taking.

 

[sregan]

I've tried to take it, I don't feel better when taking it. I wonder if taking smaller doses to work up is better?

 

[Jorlev]

Forget Selenium supplements! Eat a few Brazil Nuts. 542mcg per oz. Two or Three should do ya.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3091/2

 

[Lynn_M]

The amount of selenium in brazil nuts depends on the source of the Brazil nuts. I have read that Brazil nuts from Brazil have a much higher selenium content than Brazil nuts from China. Supposedly many of the Brazil nuts on the market now come from China.

Sorry, I don't have any sources to back up these assertions.