Improving your immune system is something that most people think about when they are on the verge of getting sick. It is something we all wish we had done during our bout with sickness and it’s something most people promptly forget about when we are well. Even though drinking plenty of water, washing our hands, and keeping up with our vitamin C supplements is easy we sometimes forget or lose motivation. For people with chronic immune system problems however every little immune system boost is important and finding anything extra that will help is valued. Selenium supplementation may be that extra boost according to new medical research.
T cells are well known to be a good indicator of a normal immune system or a compromised immune system. HIV patients routinely have their T cell count monitored for fluctuations in either direction. Obviously a normal T cell count is desirable but any increase is usually considered a good sign. Researchers monitoring these fluctuations in studies have noted one interesting finding however that suggests that taking selenium can help increase T cell count.
This is good news because selenium supplements are very inexpensive and very easy to add to your diet. Especially if you already take pills or vitamins adding a basic selenium supplement should be easy enough. Researchers have found that 200mcg is plenty to see noticeable and statistically meaningful results so you don’t have to take very much; you just have to stay regular.
It’s also clear that selenium is not a miracle pill. It will not improve immune system response or T cell levels to a point where underlying conditions are cured or chronic symptoms are stopped. Researchers noted in regards to HIV patients that HIV viral loads improved with this supplementation and T cell levels improved however all other medical intervention and treatment had to remain intact.
There are of course other ways to improve your immune system and even help increase T cells. Eating more white mushrooms are one such way to a small degree and so is consuming lots of nutritious foods loaded with antioxidants. Vitamin C and zinc have strong supporters who swear by them but selenium is less understood and known. If you have immune system issues then researching the studies that support the supplementation of selenium may be a great place to start and of course talk to your doctor about it as he or she may be able to guide you on the best course of action for your specific set of circumstances.
