Selenium

An essential trace mineral · one of the few ingredients that may carry a claim

All articles checked for accuracy against the GB NHC Register and all sources have citations with verified links to their relevant studies.

Selenium is a trace mineral the body needs in very small amounts. Unlike most botanical ingredients, it appears on the GB/EU register with specific authorised claims when supplied at qualifying doses.

This article explains what selenium does in the body, how intake varies, which authorised claims exist under retained law, how WellsparQ uses the nutrient in its formulas, and why both low and high intakes matter. It also clarifies what may and may not be said about non-nutrient ingredients.

Ingredient Snapshot

What it is

An essential trace mineral used in small amounts by the body.

Where from

Found in foods and soil; common sources include Brazil nuts, fish and eggs.

Known for

Part of selenoproteins and associated with maintenance of normal hair and nails.

In WellsparQ

• NattakoComplex55 µg (stated 100% NRV)
• BrightSight Complex55 µg
• GlowMatrix Collagen50 µg
• VitaralDaily36527.5 µg
• ImmunoDefence Pro10 µg

For reference

• UK/EU NRV55 µg per day

Selenium is an essential trace mineral — needed in tiny amounts, but genuinely needed. Unlike most of the botanicals in the WellsparQ range, it sits in the small group of nutrients with authorised health claims under retained EU law, which means we can say something specific about it, in fixed wording, when the dose qualifies. This piece explains the nutrient, the evidence, and exactly what may and may not be said.

Why the body needs it

Selenium's biological job is done through selenoproteins — a family of around twenty-five proteins in humans that incorporate selenium as the amino acid selenocysteine. These include the glutathione peroxidases (part of the body's antioxidant defences), the thioredoxin reductases, and the iodothyronine deiodinases involved in thyroid hormone metabolism ^¹²³.

Dietary intake varies widely with soil selenium, so it differs by region and food source. A 2012 Lancet seminar set out the relationship between selenium status and health, noting that both deficiency and excess carry risks — a U-shaped curve rather than "more is better" ^¹. More recent reviews in Biomolecules (2023) and Molecules (2024) updated the picture of selenoprotein function and human health ^²³.

The authorised claims

Selenium is on the permitted list. Several selenium claims exist in the GB/EU Register (immune, thyroid, hair, nails, oxidative stress, spermatogenesis). For WellsparQ, the wording approved for use in this knowledge set is the one on the factsheet card:

> "Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and nails."

This claim may be made only when a portion supplies at least a significant amount of selenium — the general rule is 15% of the 55 µg NRV, i.e. ≥8.25 µg per portion — and only in this exact wording, attributed to selenium.

How WellsparQ uses it

Selenium appears across several formulas, and the declared amounts are transparent about NRV.

Source: WellsparQ Supplements Database. Every listed product clears the 15% NRV threshold, so the authorised hair-and-nails claim is technically available to each — subject to sign-off and correct on-pack attribution. The factsheet card puts it plainly: "Exactly the daily reference value, once a day" for the 55 µg formulas. Selenium in these formulas is plant-suitable and the products are vegan-friendly.

Safety — the upper end matters

Because selenium follows a U-shaped curve, the top end is a real consideration. High chronic intakes can cause selenosis, with symptoms including hair and nail brittleness or loss, gastrointestinal upset and a garlic breath odour ^¹³. EFSA and UK advice set a tolerable upper intake in the region of a few hundred micrograms per day from all sources; a single Brazil nut can carry a substantial amount, so people already eating selenium-rich foods should keep total intake in mind ^⁴. The WellsparQ doses above are set at or below the NRV precisely so that a daily supplement stays comfortably within safe bounds. Do not exceed the stated dose.