Symptoms Of A Selenium Deficiency

Goiter

When an individual's thyroid gland, which is located at the base of the throat, becomes abnormally enlarged, they have what is called a goiter. The presence of goiter can be a symptom of an individual affected by a selenium deficiency. A goiter happens most commonly when the patient is deficient in iodine. Both iodine and selenium are required for the thyroid gland to produce adequate amounts of thyroid hormones. Most individuals get their supply of iodine and selenium from regularly fortified soil and food like iodized salt.

In geographic regions where there is a deficiency in both iodine and selenium due to an absence of soil and food fortification, individuals experience hypothyroidism and nodule formation in the thyroid gland that causes it to become enlarged. If an individual has a goiter due to insufficient amounts of iodine, they are likely also to have low levels of selenium, since both minerals are fortified into food together.

Unexplained Weight Gain

Unexplained weight gain can be indicative of an individual affected by selenium deficiency. This symptom stems directly from the effect an inadequate supply of selenium has on the function of the thyroid gland. Without enough selenium, the thyroid gland cannot synthesize iodothyronine deiodinase. Iodothyronine deiodinase is the component that converts T4 into T3, which are both hormones required for the proper regulation of an individual's metabolism, heart rate, and temperature.

When there is not an adequate supply of selenium in order to yield T3 and T4, the individual experiences symptoms associated with a slowed metabolism of energy producing factors. Without enough thyroid hormones, the body's metabolism slows and causes a disruption in the individual's energy balance. Energy balance is the ratio of the number of calories an individual consumes to the number of calories they are burning. When an individual consumes a higher number of calories than the number they are burning, they have a positive energy balance. A positive energy balance causes the body to store excess calories and experience weight gain.