This week is nutrition we have been focusing a lot more on minerals and vitamins. I mean, of course, everyone has heard of vitamin a, c, your b vitamins, calcium, iron…those are the most obvious.
But have you heard and do you know much about selenium?
Selenium is a trace mineral (you don’t need as much as others) found in few amino acids in your body and helps to regulate your thyroid gland. The regulated intake for BOTH men and woman is 55 UG a day.
Your easiest ways to incorporate selenium into your diet are organ rich meats, pork and seafood.
But hold the doors, there are also ways you can get it without meat.
Rice, nuts and wheat are excellent sources as well.
Fun Fact: Brazillion nuts actually contain 780% of your daily allowance for one serving. Oh my.
If you consume too much selenium (which would never shut the doors on my seafood addiction) your nails could turn brittle, along with your hair. The only real possible way for this to happen through is through supplement usage. Believe me-you better believe I raised my little hand and said what if you eat 5 million servings of seafood a day. So unless you take too many selenium supplements you won’t run into this problem.
If you do not have enough, however, that is where the problems more lie. You could be in danger of two diseases-Keshan diease (a form of heart disease) or Keshin Beck disease (a form of arthritis).
So there you have it, everything about selenium in a nutshell.
(since you can get the most selenium in the nut shell. Okay bad pun…I’m on a roll with those lately.)
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Or what about Chromium?
Chromium is used in glucose transport and immune function and growth, essentially to help regulate blood sugars. Men need about 2.3 mg/aday and woman 1.8 mg/aday.
Shockingly if you are a food blogger and already eating pretty healthy, chances are you are getting enough chromium in your diet. The top three foods for obtaining chromium are romaine lettuce (figure its good for something), onions and tomatoes. I personally eat more tomatoes then any other human being but I hate onions so I suppose it all evens out.
Having too much chromium (even through supplement) is never a bad thing, as there are no known effects. Having too little, can mess and elevate your blood sugars and blood lipids. Along with damage to the brain and nervous system.
Question for you:
How much did you already know about selenium and chromium? Did you purposely ever eat a certain food to up your intake?
I can’t lie to my blogging BFF’s. I had heard of both of them in passing, but I knew very little. If you had asked me a week ago, I could write about 1 sentence on both of them and probably relating it to math.
I kiiind of knew about selenium – but knew nothing about chromium!
I do have the selenium thing in mind when I eat Brazil nuts, but the chocolate -covered ones are so good, I have a sneaky feeling I might just be able to force a few down anyway…
Love your blog by the way!
Fun fact: Brazil nuts are the most radioactive food per gram. By a lot. All naturally occurring.
Really the only thing I knew about them is from chemistry. Lol. And I’ve heard of supplements for them but never really knew what they did.
What a great excuse to eat more Brazilian nuts! My grandma always has those on hand and I LOVE them!
SO cool! I never seen Brazillian nuts as much as I do others. I do eat lots of seafood, so I should be a-okay.
Keep the info coming girrrl
Mmm Brazil nuts! I’ve heard about them, and I’ve also heard that selenium may help reduce the mercury in your body from seafood. Score! I know that I try to eat fish at least once a week, usually lox + cream cheese (amazing) for iron since I’m always low in iron and veggie iron is not as absorbable as meat iron.
I had heard about the high concentration of selenium in brazil nuts, but I totally forgot. If for whatever reason you were lacking in selenium you could probably just eat one brazil nut per day!
I definitely have the magnesium covered because I eat romaine lettuce like it’s my job. Now I can justify eating it!
That was actually very interesting
. I’ve heard of chromium but never really heard of selenium, I don’t think of vitamins and minerals like them very often but that’s neat that you’re learning about them 
.
I am deep in thought trying to remember when I have last had brazil nuts or limas….
I have a feeling that will be solved sometime soon as I will probably now have to go get some.
I couldn’t remember the last time I had Brazilian nuts either. I think I’ll probably buy some at the store next time I go.
I didn’t know anything about either! Now I feel so much more knowledgeable! And would you believe that I’ve never had Brazil nuts! I think I need to change that!
Thanks for the fun info! I did know most of this, but that’s because I know how important they are. What can you tell us about Magnesium? Talk about another great vitamin!
Before reading this I knew nothing about either except for maybe recognizing their name. Currently I do not eat any specific food to up my intake in anything. If I tracked my food and discovered I was low in something I could see myself eating specific foods to up my intake. Guess I need to track my food
I’m a dork — I totally laughed at the hostile elements cartoon!
I didn’t know anything about chronium/selenium. I kind of remember memorizing the periodic chart abbreviations — but I don’t remember ever learning about them. Sad!
HA! I’m glad someone else did. I enjoy my math and science jokes.
I LOVE seafood!
And after your letting me know you live so close to me, I totally recognized the boardwalk from your header. 
yay!
P.S. how did your daddy do in the full yesterday?!
Have you ever had a Brazil nut? UGH- I hate them…but in good news I LOVE seafood
I never really knew a lot about these two. I know about the other vit’s and the deficiencies associated with them because they’re part of out PA learning shhhtuff.
And I do not try to eat specific foods to meet my daily requirement. I have just recently started taking Flinstones (yes the chewable ones) because I knew I needed more vitamins and iron in my life but I’m having a hard time remembering to take them!
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