Selenium: A case for its essentiality in man
1981
Young, Vernon R.
Evidence of the essentiality of selenium in animal and human nutrition is accumulating from many sources; deficiencies are known to cause muscular dystrophy, pancreatic degeneration, liver necrosis, etc., in various animals. In human tissues, selenium is present in glutathione peroxidase and may provide protection against excesses of lipid peroxides and free radicals. Reports substantiating the human need for selenium include one from China where the incidence of Keshan disease was reduced after selenium supplementation, and one from New Zealand in which a patient on long-term parenteral nutrition was relieved of debilitating muscle pain. A patient in the U.S. with cardiomyopathy was shown to be selenium-deficient, but other deficiencies may have been present as well. Selenium content in plants is affected by the amount of the trace element in the soil, but there are other rich sources, including organ meats and seafoods. A safe and adequate range of selenium intake is considered to be 50-200 microgm. a day for adults.
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