Selenium Health Benefits: Expert Tells The Importance Of This Trace Mineral For Optimal Health

Do you find yourself constantly struggling to maintain a balanced diet? Are you one of the many individuals who crave fast foods over a healthy salad? Well, lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho has some advice for you. "As the world gets more and more complicated, we need to remind ourselves to constantly go back to simplicity," Luke said. He recently spoke about powerful micronutrients - also known as trace minerals - that are "connected to your appearance, the glow in your skin, your hair, your heart health, your immune system, and much more".

In a Facebook video, Coutinho shared the importance of one micronutrient, in particular, known as selenium. He spoke at length about the impact the deficiency of this micronutrient can have on our bodies.

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Coutinho said, "Just because selenium is a trace mineral, doesn't mean that it's not important. Trace minerals are something that your body needs in small quantities." But if you are deficient in this small quantity of selenium, it creates innumerable problems, he added.

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Speaking about the need to have a holistic lifestyle, he further said that selenium was "scientifically being recorded to play a role in the prevention of prostate cancers, lung cancers, and even colorectal cancers. You need to have the right amount of selenium in your diet.

Explaining selenium's antioxidant quality, the holistic lifestyle coach said, "All of us are prone to inflammation from pollution, pesticide, food, antibiotics, meats, over-exercising and under sleeping. We have a lot of inflammation in our body, and if we don't have the right amount of antioxidants, these free radicals build up more and more creating more inflammation."

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Talking about the impact of eating right, especially while on medication, he mentions that certain medications can creates inflammation in your body or reduces the amount of antioxidants or wipes out certain vitamins or minerals. And because of this deficiency of minerals and vitamins, or too much inflammation and fewer antioxidants, you may experience side effects in your body.

It's important to put vitamins back into your body so that you don't have to suffer side effects or develop new problems. "If you're taking a painkiller that wipes out certain trace minerals, take the painkiller if you need to, but are you putting those trace minerals back in your body?" he asked. You also have to make sure that you're changing your lifestyle and eating according to the kind of medication you're taking, said Coutinho.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.