If you have autoimmune disease, there is one mineral you need to take on a regular basis. And you need to take more than most doctors would recommend.
Two new studies suggest selenium may help you. The first study showed that supplementation with selenium helped reduce markers of activity of autoimmune thyroiditis. However, the authors found that you will likely need to take in excess of 100 mcg daily. That is the level to maximize activity of a key enzyme, glutathione peroxidase. This enzyme is crucial for protecting you from free radical damage.
The second study found that selenium and zinc levels were low in cases of recurrent uveitis. Uveitis is an inflammation of the iris area of your eye. It, too, falls into the generic classification of autoimmune disease.
I think selenium is one mineral that is very important to take as a supplement. I take it myself, even with my outstanding diet. I like a dose of 200 mcg daily for general prevention. In excess, selenium can have reversible toxicity. However, I have never seen toxicity using doses up to 600 mcg daily. I regularly recommend doses that high (and even higher) in cancer and other immune deficiency states. If you have a so-called autoimmune disease, consider supplemental selenium.