Why Do People With Iodine Deficiency Need Selenium Supplements?
People who have an iodine deficiency may benefit from taking selenium supplements. Iodine deficiency is rare in developed countries in the west but is still common in developing countries, particularly those on the African subcontinent, where access to iodine is limited. Iodine is required by the thyroid gland in the neck to make the thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine., which regulate the metabolism of the whole body. Researchers believe that selenium deficiency can worsen the effects of iodine deficiency on thyroid function. Selenium is known to protect against thyroid problems and it is thought that taking adequate, or even increased amounts of selenium in the diet might help protect against some of the neurological effects of iodine deficiency. Researchers in one trial looked at the relationship between goiter and selenium and obtained results that suggest that selenium supplements may be protective against goiter, a condition in which the thyroid gland becomes grossly
