Selenium - what is it?
Selenium, New RDA* 55µg
Selenium acts as a micronutrient or trace element in the human body. Its distribution in the earth's crust varies from place to place. Its content of water varies even more greatly. The amount present in foods also varies widely. Males appear to have a greater need for this mineral. About half the supply of their bodies is concentrated in the testicles and parts of the seminal ducts adjacent to the prostate gland.
Selenium is a grey, crystalline element of the sulphur group. It is an antioxidant and its biological activity is closely related to vitamin E. It is excreted in the semen.
Selenium is found in soils and rocks and consequently may then accumulate in plants.
*Sourced from EFSA WEBSITE
Selenium - what does it do?
An important component of the body’s defence system that protects our bodies against damage.
It is also necessary for the use of iodine in thyroid hormone production, as well as the normal functioning of the reproductive system.
The biologically active form of selenium is selenocysteine. Selenocysteine is incorporated into selenoproteins, of which over thirty have been identified to date. The selenoproteins include the glutathione peroxidases, which protect against oxidative damage, the iodothyronine deiodinases (involved in the production of the hormone triiodothyronine from thyroxine), selenoprotein P (which is involved in antioxidant and transport functions) and the thioredoxin reductases (maintenance of the intracellular redox state).
Deficiency
In humans, selenium deficiency is associated with Keshan disease, an endemic cardiomyopathy which particularly affects children and women of child-bearing age, and possibly also Kashin-Beck disease, a musculoskeletal disorder.
Selenium - Sources
Brazil nuts, bread, fish, meat and eggs.
