This article is part of a special report on Thyroid Disorders. To see the other articles in this series, click here.
A healthy thyroid is a critical component of one’s overall health, and many people are struggling with thyroid disorders such as hypothyroidism, specifically Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis. In this autoimmune condition, the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, with the resulting inflammation leading to an underactive thyroid gland or hypothyroidism. Hashimoto’s disease is the most common form of hypothyroidism and was the first condition ever to be classified as an autoimmune disease.
I’ve written extensively about thyroid health, focusing on a multitude of environmental factors that may affect thyroid function, including gluten, gut health, stress, excess iodine, and vitamin D deficiency. I’ve also discussed why dietary changes are always the first step in treating Hashimoto’s, and why replacement thyroid hormone is often necessary for a successful outcome.
There Is yet Another Nutritional Factor That May Play a Role in Thyroid Health: Selenium.
Selenium deficiency is not thought to be common in healthy adults, but is more likely to be found in those with digestive health issues causing poor absorption of nutrients, such as Crohn’s or celiac disease, or those with serious inflammation due to chronic infection. (1, 2) It is thought that selenium deficiency does not specifically cause illness by itself, but that it makes the body more susceptible to illnesses caused by other nutritional, biochemical or infectious stresses, due to its role in immune function. (3) Adequate selenium nutrition supports efficient thyroid hormone synthesis and metabolism and protects the thyroid gland from damage from excessive iodine exposure. (4)
One study found that selenium supplementation had a significant impact on inflammatory activity in thyroid-specific autoimmune disease, and reducing inflammation may limit damage to thyroid tissue. (6) This may be due to the increase in glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase activity, as well as the decrease in toxic concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and lipid hydroperoxides which result from thyroid hormone synthesis. (7)
Another study followed patients for 9 months, and found that selenium supplementation reduced thyroid peroxidase antibody levels in the blood, even in selenium sufficient patients. (8) While these studies show promise for the use of selenium supplementation in preventing thyroid tissue damage, further research is needed to determine the long-term clinical effects of selenium treatment on inflammatory autoimmune thyroiditis.
Additionally, selenium is also essential for the conversion of T4 to T3, as deiodinase enzymes (those enzymes that remove iodine atoms from T4 during conversion) are selenium-dependent. As I’ve explained before, T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone, and low T3 can cause hypothyroid symptoms. A double-blind intervention study found that selenium supplementation in selenium deficient subjects modulated T4 levels, theoretically by improving peripheral conversion to T3. (9) In cases of severe selenium deficiency, conversion of T4 to T3 may be impaired, leading to hypothyroid symptoms. As T3 conversion is not performed by the thyroid, the dependence on selenoproteins for this conversion demonstrates how significant selenium deficiency could lead to hypothyroid symptoms.
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So the Question Is, Should You Start Supplementing with Selenium If You Have Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, or Low T3 Levels?
As the answer often is, it depends.
While it seems that selenium supplementation would be an obvious solution to poor thyroid function, long term consumption of high doses of selenium can lead to complications such as gastrointestinal upsets, hair loss, white blotchy nails, garlic breath odor, fatigue, irritability, and mild nerve damage. (10) Additionally, supplementing selenium in the context of low iodine status may actually aggravate hypothyroidism. Mario Renato Iwakura discusses this particular topic extensively on Paul Jaminet’s Perfect Health Diet blog.
Moreover, a large clinical trial examining the effects of selenium supplementation on prostate cancer risk in over 35,000 men found that those with normal to high selenium levels at baseline experienced a significant increase in the risk of prostate cancer after supplementing with 200 mcg/d of selenium. For more details on this study, see my article “Important Update on Selenium Supplementation“.
For now, the best option for most people may be to include selenium-rich foods in the context of a healthy Paleo diet. Great sources of selenium include: brazil nuts, crimini mushrooms, cod, shrimp, tuna, halibut, salmon, scallops, chicken, eggs, shiitake mushrooms, lamb, and turkey. Brazil nuts are particularly rich in selenium; it only takes one or two per day to improve your selenium status and boost immune function. (11)
Making sure your selenium intake is optimal may give your immune system and thyroid the boost it needs to help it function better. It is especially important for those managing thyroid conditions to ensure their selenium status is adequate.
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I suffer from Grave’s and started taking Selenium 200mcg about a year ago and it really helped with my symptoms but, last month I was diagnosed with with type II Diabetes. Now I find that it may be related to the Selenium supplement. I am going to call and get my levels tested.
I accidentally began taking selenium for some other reason and only later did I learn of its role in thyroid function. This all occurred within months of my TPA’s (anti a/b?) first becoming elevated to around <200. It's possible that after a certain point, time with tpa's and level of tpa's, taking selenium will not reverse the Hashi disease process.
Endo doctors in US, in my experience, know nothing about the role of selenium or of any other way to reverse the Hashi disease. Europe has published peer reviewed medical journals about selenium's affects on the thyroid but zip, nada, nothing coming from US medical journals.
Everyone is different. Animals on the same pasture-some get selenosis, some do not. What works for one person may not work for another.
My thyroid gland went “warp-speed” after birth of my son, then went “kaput”. Synthoid for 2 years=useless. Armour 180 for 14 years=great, until I started some potassium iodide solution, 5 drops in water. I think about 125mcg. Eventually went hyperthyroid. Now on lower dose (130) Naturthroid. Perfect numbers on blood work. I do not feel hypo. Started selenium 100mcg (countrylife selenomethionine) for skin ailments (also low dose biotin-fairly harmless) Within 3 weeks, eyebrows fell out, 20% hair loss, numbness in extremities, nausea, weakness, palm rash, nails chipping. Figured it out and quit after 7 weeks on Selenium. 2 weeks since ceasing that dose, and I still have nausea, weakness, stiff/sore, new hair loss, some regrowth. No treatment in Merck except avoidance of Selenium. I am going to try homeopathic selenium for these symptoms, I will post after dosing.
Bottom line: Start VERY slowly, very small doses, write down all symptoms every day, give things 3-4 weeks to manifest or change. Do not just “try something because you read about it”, research every aspect of a supplement before you put it in your body. Not all formulations of supplements are accurately produced. (Think Totalbodyformula incident) and people have different threshholds of tolerance. I’ve practiced alternative health –nutrition -can we call that alternative?- herbs, homeopathy, you name it, I know it–for 20 years, and I make mistakes!! Losing my hair has made me profoundly sad! Have hope, be careful. Best, Joni
Armour and Naturethroid are dessicated thyroid, and have iodine and selenium compounds in them. That is what thyroid hormones are. So, if you are taking one of these, do not supplement with neither potassium iodide nor selenium. I feel great on the naturethroid, but when I added 100 mcg of selenium, together with the amount present in foods, I overdosed. All animal/fish has plenty of selenium, as does oats and brown rice. The upper limit is 400mcg per day, but that may be too much for some. Your body needs a scant 45-70 mcg per day, and elimination of excess is slow. Overload can be quite damaging. And for Pete’s sake don’t eat Brazil nuts, just google the woman who ate to many of those and ended up looking like the guy who drank from the wrong grail in Indiana Jones.
Hi!
I have had some great success with supplementing with Selenium Plus (Sisu brand) and am very excited by the positive changes that I’ve been experiencing over the last few weeks. I am however concerned about the side effects that you listed from long term use. Should this be something that I do only on occasion? Or just note if I’m feeling any of those symptoms and decrease my dose or take it only every other day? I’d like to think that I can get what I need just from foods, but I’m still working on that successful transition to following a strict paleo diet. Not far off, but not 100% solid yet… Many thanks.
Selenium supplement for your thyroid is A MUST!!!
Like, if you need 200mg (thats a lot!!) selenium a day, is it even possible to take it in via food?
I have NO thyroid-they took mine. Now I take thyroid meds .375. Have all symptoms of thyroid (hypo)
and severe gluten intolerance, and many auto-immune conditions. Can anything help?
Hi Julia!
To you, and to everyone here – I am at the end of my rope in seeking information on thyroid. I too have no thyroid Julia.
I am currently researching iodine/dide and, of course, selenium (and potassium) by extension. But, hells bells if I can find any information that provides caveats regarding biological/chemical functioning with out thyroid.
Please, Chris – I am long term subscriber – please answer us, and in detail. Perhaps an article on iodine, and/or thyroid in general, perhaps on the significance of radioactive thyroid treatment too (what else has been killed off from this if iodine is not ONLY taken up by the thyroid?), but please add lots of info on the significance of no thyroid.
it’s very difficult muddling through all the info, especially tricky around the THs because we take them synthetically, but – what are they exactly? Our doctors don’t tell us. And what are they missing? (How can we store them long term should there ever be a shortage – why do they need refrigerating). Thy surely cannot be as good as organic, thyroid produced, what can we do to subsidise?
Iodine, doesn’t only get taken up by the thyroid – so, I’m guessing like the iodine deficiency experienced by the majority, it would effect us too? In what way? Or, is the deficiency mainly related to the production of TH, and the synthetic dose we take sufficiently counters that (but, still, it can’t be as good as the real stuff if we had our thyroids).
Please can you give us some info.
Sass.
Forgot to say, too –
What does iodine do to any remainder cancerous thyroid cells, potentially remaining after radioactive iodine treatment? Will it feed them, or..?
Please can you address this complicated field of understanding. I’ve done quite a bit, but just cannot bridge this last bit alone.
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I have had hypothyroid for 20 years and never took any meds.. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos 1 year ago and I started taking thyroid hormone that I go from the Gerson institute.. then just 1 month ago I decided I did not want to take the homone anymore because I want my thyroid to start working on it’s own.. I am gluten free, no dairy, no eggs, no soy.. lots of veges.. not much fruit.. I do not have money to pay for tests.. I am on selenium and eat lots of seaweeds.. I would appreciate any advice I could get.. I think I am feeling better and healing naturally but some days I am exhauseted although the last few days I have been sleeping like a baby, and it helps if I get in bed before 10pm..
Hi Caren, since you were only on thyroid supplement for a year, there is a good chance your thyroid can still function on its own. Just selenium and seaweed will not correct your thyroid function naturally. In fact, too much of either of those will just make it worse. The thyroid gland needs the right balance of nutrients to function correctly. It can be corrected over time naturally with the right foods. If you would like to learn more, you can sign up for one of my free web clinics at http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=EA52DE81804B31
Calc Carb 30c
Iodum 6x
Thyroidinum 30c
Iodine is part of the halide group on the periodic chart. The halide group includes Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine, Slowly and deliberately, over the last century iodine has been removed from our diet while, Chlorine (including chloramines), Flourine (including flouride), Bromine (including bleached bromated wheat flour and fire retardants in all foam pillows, including the ones in your car) have become more pervasive. Iodine is a necessary element for proper functioning of the Thyroid If your body does not have access to iodine the receptors in your body will look to the other elements in the group to fill the void. The other three especially bromine and fluorine are not part of an healthy diet.
Please click the link below and do your own research! Also, for those familiar with Dr Gerson, he was an advocate of increased iodine consumption to battle cancer. He testified before congress in 1946 and spoke about iodine. http://www.cih.nusystem.org/assets/resources/pageResources/ithrive-019.pdf
I am a 64 year old woman that has had health issues all her life. I am tired of the medical doctors and have tried to find info on the internet as to why I am feeling the way I am. I linked up to your website after putting in some of my symptons and coming up with Hypothyrodism. It makes perfect sense to me giving the symptoms I am having. I am experiencing a tremendous itching on my body but mostly on my head. I am having sweats like no other and I can’t quite from falling alsleep every time I sit down or stop moving for a while. I am desperate to find help and I don’t know what step I need to take next. Anything would suggest would give me some emotional relief. Thanks Ann
I have Hashi and was having trouble conceiving so my endo said to take 200 mcg to help with thyroid function. My antibodies were “off the charts” and after a year it brought them down significantly. They are still high and it is an issue b/c I can’t conceive without IVF and I’ve had one miscarriage- possibly antibody related. However, both my endo and fertility dr. agree I should stay on selenium until I am past conception age. I’ve been on it for 8 years with no new issues. (Hair loss began with Hashi and is cyclical for me)
Deb
My daughter was diagnosed recently with PCOS. And was tested to see if she was insulin resist. That has a lot to do with conception and ability to carry a baby thru the first 16 weeks. She is now on metformin for her insulin resistance. And her body is back in sync. We’ve learned that insulin resistance can cause miscarriages, and go long periods of time without having a period.
A week ago the Dr tested her for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Disease and her numbers were off the scale around 600. So The Dr has put her on a gluten free diet as her TSH levels were all still fine. She’s only 19 and has been hit with this all in two months. It breaks my heart. Have you been tested for ur insulin. Many times it’s over looked. I myself had many issues getting pregnant and staying pregnant. 3 miscarriages and two c sections.I had a hysterectomy at 26. I hope it helps knowing ur not alone. But these days you need to be your own health advocate. Good luck sweetie.
start with Lycopodium 30c for PCOS
I am not a fan of supplements that only provide the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E. It’s safer and more effective to ingest the entire family of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Too much alpha-tocopherol, for example, displaces gamma-tocopherol from the cell membrane; each one protects against a different type of radical. This likely explains why mega-dosing on a single form of vitamin E increases the risk of cancer.
It’s also best to take the tocotrienol form of E at least six hours apart from the tocopherol forms, according to an article in 2013 in The Townsend Letter.
Hi,
I have started taking multivitamins and supplements. I have hashimotos since past 15 yrs. I am 31. Recently I came to know that the thyroid defeciency is actually hashimotos when I tested my thyroid enzymes.
Last 2 months I have started taking supplements from Nutrilite…which includes multivitamins, selenium+ vitamin E, Salmon omega3, calcium + vit.D, coQ10.
yesterday I checked my TSH level, and doctor asked me to reduce my eltroxin tab. from 100mcg to 75mcg.
So I dont know which supplement caused increase in available thyroid hormones in blood.
But nevertheless m feeling gr8 and want to continue with the cocktail. 🙂
I think you’re partially right but Hashimoto’s is an auto immune disease I reread and keep in track with the lady at thyroid pharmacy on Facebook she says is caused by a virus
Sorry, I have hyperthyroidism, not hypo.
I have hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue. Diet changes helped but not that much. I started taking a Selenium supplement 3 months ago and now it doesn’t matter much what I eat, the symptoms have faded almost completely. I’m amazed.
Wish I’d known about the connection years ago!
My post doesn’t seem to be showing….
I will try again later if there is an issue. I also wanted to say…..THANK YOU, for caring to post this information. I finally feel like maybe there is some hope to find positive changes for my health. 🙂
OK, wow. I have read every section on here and realize I am in this boat and it may be too late for my thyroid. My thyroid might be dead, and no longer producing anything….but maybe not? Yikes. Diagnosed 21 years ago, and have been on meds (synthroid) and now Cytomel for 21 years. I thought I was gluten intolerant so have been easing up on gluten, and now I find these articles. I wonder why NO dr has told me this over 21 years. I asked to see and endocrinologist 2 years ago….he said I was taking enough Synthroid for an elephant. Well then. WHY then, do I not FEEL hyper-Thyroid? They wanted to reduce, and they are constantly checking my blood levels and they do not feel comfortable on the dose that I am on. I have NO hyper-thyroid symptoms, and if anything, was hoping for an increase so I wasn’t as tired in the mornings after 8 hours sleep! I am on 250 mcg (divided into morning and night) of Synthroid and on my asking, I am also on 10 mcg cytomel (divided into morning and night). I get tested for TSH (non existent now) and Free T3 and Free T4 which are indicating on the “hyper” side but just slightly now. I do not know who else to see here (BC Canada) in order to be actually heard, and taken care of. When I went to the Endocrinologist, I told him I want to know how the Hashimoto’s is effecting the rest of me…and what I should do. He had no time for me and his letter to my family dr was, her dose needs to be reduced. They are worried about me having opposite effect of my condition, and it turning into Graves and osteoporosis. When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto, it was prior to the birth of my son, and my levels went out of whack after he was born. I am interested in now trying Selenium, and D3 (I was taking D3 on and off), and going gluten free completely. Do you have anybody you can refer me to in BC canada? One year I tried to get off synthetic Synthroid and tried desiccated Thyroid. My symptoms took a nose dive so I went back to synthetic. Is it too late for me after 21 years of synthetic replacements, and is it possible my thyroid has stopped functioning all together? Why is my blood work changing, (appearing hyper over previously “within range”) with no change in dosage? Is it possible going gluten free has had some effect on this for absorption? I told my Dr’s that I felt with the high dose that I wasn’t assimilating the meds, buy they shrugged their shoulders. 🙁 help!
Hi
Thanks for all the information it is really helpful. I have some questions in regards to HT and multinodular goiters on my thyroid that are benign. I was diagnosed with it last month and my endocrinologist wants me to just wait and watch till it gets inactive, as per her discussion my TSH,T3 AND T4 levels are all working fine, should I ask her for more specific numbers of all those hormones? . I was wondering if taking Selenium would affect the function of normal thyroid hormones while decreasing the antibodies? or will it trigger it to become more hypo? Also is it safe to get pregnant now or wait till I get my thyroid surgically removed? Please help me any time and concern into this matter will be helpful and appreciated..
Thanks
I was taking 200mcg daily until diagnosed with basl cell carcinoma, a small skin cancer. Apparently, there is a link between some forms of skin cancer…for those at high risk of getting it…and selenium supplementation. I have Hasimotos, and am sick and tired of all the conflicting info about supplements (iodine, selenium, amount of D3, etc.) and what foods we can eat (broccoli/goitenus veggies, cooked vs uncooked, fermented soy is/is not ok, barley, corn, turkey, spinach, arugula, etc.
Why isn’t there one source of info backed by research…double blind studies? So many people needthis information?
Agreed! It is so crazy that mainstream medicine just gives you levothyroxine and lets your thyroid go downhill. There should be MUCH more attention to the nutritional aspects of Hashimotos. More studies. You are right — there are so many people!
PS One possibility is that selenium is good if you are deficient, not if you are not. I just got an analysis by SpectraCell labs – my functional medicine doc ordered it. I don’t know how reliable it is, but i am supplementing according to what it says. Some people go with hair analysis for minerals. I don’t know which is best but think the idea of supplementing and then rechecking levels makes sense!
Dr Kresser,
I have had some success with adding Selenium to my daily supplement regimen. I’m hypothyroid, recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s (thanks to websites like yours).
While selenium INITALLY caused incredibly positive change ( lost 5 lbs easily), it suddenly wore off, and I had a bad autoimmune flare up–including sudden swelling of the thyroid/throat– AFTER trying to implement the paleo protocol that you and some others advocate.
I even purchased your diet protocol. I had previously found some success with a 90% raw food vegetarian diet and juicing.
Any idea why someone would be totally unable to process meats and animal fats? Same with coconut. My body blows up immediately.
I have been strictly gluten free and dairy free for years, have cut out all grains, eggs, nightshades and soy. Still cannot tolerate meat, poultry or coconut or nuts unless soaked. Digestive enzymes don’t help much.
I cannot find any references to such a dilemma on your website. Do some folks have an inflammatory reaction or intolerance to dense proteins/fats?
Thank you!
OMG! I just stumbled upon your site. I was recently diagnosed with hypo/hasimotos. My TPO was 118 but TSH 2.68. They put me on 75 mcg of synthroid and than tested 3 weeks later and I went to .263 and adjusted synthroid to 50 mcg and went to .069. I feel horrible at this number.I am competitve runner who use to run 8-12 miles a day and now have a had time managing 3-6 miles. I have got off the synthroid while waiting to see a respected Endo but wondering how I could go so low so quickly and maybe I didn’t need the synthroid and just need to address the TPO.