Best Time Of Day To Take Selenium

Eating a healthy diet is great. You’re consuming foods rich in vitamins and minerals that your body craves to function correctly.

But for times when food maybe isn’t enough to meet requirements—like for selenium, for example, that’s concentrated in a lot of non-vegan sources—popping back a pill to help even out your levels can be an awesome way to avoid deficiencies.

But for most people, they’re not even aware of what selenium is, never mind what it does. Read on as we reveal all about selenium—what it is, why it’s important, where to find it, and the best time to take it.

What Is Selenium And Why Do You Need It?

Along with things like vitamin D, selenium is one of the most under-consumed minerals out there, with an estimated 1 billion people experiencing a deficiency.

As a trace mineral, it’s only required in tiny amounts—roughly 55mcg daily—to support normal body functions. However, don’t underestimate its power; this one is small but mighty. It has a hefty hand in a number of essential roles in the body, including:

• Immune function: Selenium is widely distributed in many of the body’s immune tissues (liver, spleen, lymph nodes), and low levels are associated with impairment of key immune cells, including B cells, T cells, lymphocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells ¹.
• Reproductive health: Where men’s health is concerned, selenium is non-negotiable. It’s needed for proper sperm function—its morphology, growth, development, and motility ². With higher levels of selenium comes better fertility and better testosterone biosynthesis.
• Thyroid: Studies suggest that both an iodine and selenium deficiency can exacerbate hypothyroidism due to the mineral’s role in supporting the conversion of T4 to its active form, T3 ¹.
• Cell health and inflammation: As possibly one of selenium’s most notable roles, it functions as a powerful antioxidant to prevent cells from free radical damage and reduce levels of inflammation. Free radicals are naturally produced as a byproduct of cellular metabolism, and selenoproteins are required for the synthesis of powerful antioxidant compounds like glutathione peroxidase (GPx), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), and iodothyronine deiodinases (IDD) ³.
• Mood and cognitive function: Several studies show that selenium is important for brain health and mood. Low selenium levels appear to interfere with the turnover rate of certain neurotransmitters, which can alter mood states and increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and confusion ^{1, 4}.

Selenium Supplements For Vegans

There are some food sources of selenium, but the majority of foods with high concentrations are found in animal-based products.

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When it comes to supplementation, you have two options: A pure supplement or a formula containing selenium. Because selenium is so vital for proper immune function, there’s one supplement we strongly stand by—PL-Immune.

It’s the most dynamic and comprehensive immune support on the market designed to restore weakened immune defenses first, and then activate immune cells after, helping them coordinate, multiply, and perform.

It’s broad range support designed to maintain a healthy immune system using six powerful ingredients: vitamin D, vitamin C, selenium, zinc, probiotics, and glutathione.

Here’s why you’ll love it:

• Unique probiotic LC-Plasma (IMMUSE™) activates five types of immune cells
• Formulated to help increase the number and activity of immune cells
• Maintains work productivity and performance via overall immune wellness
• Fortifies first-line immune defenses and long-range immune responses
• Replenishes antioxidants for immune system offense and defense
• Helps fight immune challenges and fatigue associated with exercise

Just one capsule daily is all that’s required to support your body’s immune performance across all activities and all seasons. But selenium is just one of several powerful immune-boosting supplements you can get.

Alternatively (or in addition to, in this case), you can also pop Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi for full-spectrum coverage of 17+ essential vitamins and minerals.

It contains 227% of your daily intake for selenium complexed with natural cofactors like probiotics, fiber, enzymes, and antioxidants that enhance the nutrient’s bioavailability and health-supportive activity.

When Is The Best Time To Take Selenium?

For most people, diet makes up most of their selenium intake, but for people that opt to supplement in addition to consuming it via food, is there a “best” time to take selenium?

Some nutrients are ideally taken with food, while others are best taken on an empty stomach in the morning. Because it’s not a mineral that can cause nausea and unpleasant side effects, when you take it is totally up to you.

PL-Immune is best taken alongside your first meal of the day, ideally with a source of dietary fat to boost absorption. If you’re taking a multivitamin, there’s not necessarily an ideal time to take it.

We recommend taking it in the morning if it contains B vitamins, as they are energy-producing nutrients and have the potential to cause mild sleep disruption, but if you find it doesn’t bother you in the evening, it’s whatever works!

However, for best results with Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi, take 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening, with or without food.

And whenever you need an upgrade to fill nutritional gaps in your diet, simply up your dose to 3 in the morning and 3 in the evening.

It’s a simple and effective way to avoid nutrient deficiencies and ensure your selenium levels are up to par.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a stronger, broad-spectrum supplement that naturally boosts your body’s immune system to whiz through daily health challenges with ease, PL-Immune is it.

With more than double your recommended dose of selenium, in addition to 5 other immune-boosting compounds, it’s pretty much the best of the best.

And if you want to take it a step further, PL-Immune stacks seamlessly with the other Performance Lab® products to give you bigger, better, and stronger body-wide function in even the most challenging of circumstances.