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.

Read more about selenium deficiency symptoms now.