Demi
Wed, Apr-06-05, 14:31
I came across this article today and thought others might be interested to read it as well:
It’s a matter of body and soil
The Times, UK
6 April, 2005
Peta Bee
We need the mineral selenium for our immune system, but levels in British soil are worryingly low
IF YOU are prone to more than your fair share of colds and bugs, it could be the earth beneath your feet that is to blame. Levels of selenium, a trace mineral essential for a robust immune system, are now so low in British soil that it is affecting the food chain, our diets and, ultimately, our health, according to some experts.
The average Briton consumes only half (30-35mcg) of the daily amount recommended by the Government (60mcg for women, 75mcg for men), but even that figure is declining (EU statistics show that our selenium intake is among the lowest in Europe).
Scientists at Warwick University’s Horticultural Research Institute say that British and Northern European soils have been relatively low in selenium since the last ice age changed the mineral composition. But it seems levels are being further depleted by intensive modern farming methods and the use of chemical fertilisers. Dr Margaret Rayman, of the Centre of Food Safety and Nutrition at Surrey University, explains: “Selenium levels in our blood have been dropping since government measurements were introduced in 1974. Selenium is a crucial component of key enzymes in the body, and if these are depleted, health suffers.”
Selenium is essential for a healthy immune system, fertility and thyroid metabolism. It also helps to prevent arterial deposits and to regulate blood pressure, and thus protects the heart, too. In Finland, where a national selenium fortification programme was introduced by the Government in 1985, white muscle disease of the heart — a major risk factor for heart disease — has been eradicated. And a report from the Government’s Food Standards Agency(FSA) has concluded that “there is an inverse relationship between selenium intake and mortality from cancer”.
Selenium may also help the body to fight off infections, as shown by an FSA-funded study by the University of Liverpool’s department of medicine, and the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen. Adults with low blood levels of selenium who were given a daily supplement containing 100mcg of selenium for 15 weeks cleared a live polio vaccine administered six weeks into the trial far more effectively. Professor Malcolm Jackson, of the Liverpool team, reports: “Selenium is an element that is essential for the maintenance of cellular immune health and it can improve the immune system.”
Meanwhile, a selenium deficiency can have a serious impact on male fertility, says Louise Sutton, head of Health and Exercise Science at Leeds Metropolitan University. “Normal sperm cells have high levels of selenium — it is an essential antioxidant for protecting the developing sperm from damage; too little in the diet means that sperm fail to thrive.”
A groundbreaking study of sub- fertile men at Glasgow Royal Infirmary a few years ago showed that 100mcg selenium supplements taken daily increased significantly sperm cells’ ability to swim, indicating that they had been selenium-deficient. Eleven per cent of men who took the supplement went on to father a child.
The FSA is commissioning further investigations into the effects of a selenium-enriched diet. Farmers and food manufacturers, however, are one step ahead. Waitrose launched the UK’s first selenium-enriched bread last month and other staple products, such as cereals, are likely to follow. Elsewhere, scientists are producing selenium-enriched vegetables from soil that increases selenium levels four-fold. Potatoes, onions and cabbages grown in the mineral-rich soil could be available within the next couple of years.
In the meantime, Sutton says that daily supplements containing 50-200mcg may be advisable if your intake of selenium-rich foods is low. However, she cautions against taking too much. “More than 0.35mg a day can cause a condition called selenosis which, even in its mildest form, affects skin, hair and nails. But the fact remains that most of us don’t get enough and could almost certainly benefit from consuming more.”
WHERE TO FIND IT
Sources of selenium:
Sardines (38mcg per 100g)
Prawns (16mcg per 100g)
Brazil nuts (245mcg per 100g)
Eggs (11mcg per 100g)
Wholemeal flour (53mcg per 100g)
Lean red meat (7-10mcg per 100g)
2 slices of selenium-enriched bread (40mcg per 100g)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,172-1556042,00.html
It’s a matter of body and soil
The Times, UK
6 April, 2005
Peta Bee
We need the mineral selenium for our immune system, but levels in British soil are worryingly low
IF YOU are prone to more than your fair share of colds and bugs, it could be the earth beneath your feet that is to blame. Levels of selenium, a trace mineral essential for a robust immune system, are now so low in British soil that it is affecting the food chain, our diets and, ultimately, our health, according to some experts.
The average Briton consumes only half (30-35mcg) of the daily amount recommended by the Government (60mcg for women, 75mcg for men), but even that figure is declining (EU statistics show that our selenium intake is among the lowest in Europe).
Scientists at Warwick University’s Horticultural Research Institute say that British and Northern European soils have been relatively low in selenium since the last ice age changed the mineral composition. But it seems levels are being further depleted by intensive modern farming methods and the use of chemical fertilisers. Dr Margaret Rayman, of the Centre of Food Safety and Nutrition at Surrey University, explains: “Selenium levels in our blood have been dropping since government measurements were introduced in 1974. Selenium is a crucial component of key enzymes in the body, and if these are depleted, health suffers.”
Selenium is essential for a healthy immune system, fertility and thyroid metabolism. It also helps to prevent arterial deposits and to regulate blood pressure, and thus protects the heart, too. In Finland, where a national selenium fortification programme was introduced by the Government in 1985, white muscle disease of the heart — a major risk factor for heart disease — has been eradicated. And a report from the Government’s Food Standards Agency(FSA) has concluded that “there is an inverse relationship between selenium intake and mortality from cancer”.
Selenium may also help the body to fight off infections, as shown by an FSA-funded study by the University of Liverpool’s department of medicine, and the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen. Adults with low blood levels of selenium who were given a daily supplement containing 100mcg of selenium for 15 weeks cleared a live polio vaccine administered six weeks into the trial far more effectively. Professor Malcolm Jackson, of the Liverpool team, reports: “Selenium is an element that is essential for the maintenance of cellular immune health and it can improve the immune system.”
Meanwhile, a selenium deficiency can have a serious impact on male fertility, says Louise Sutton, head of Health and Exercise Science at Leeds Metropolitan University. “Normal sperm cells have high levels of selenium — it is an essential antioxidant for protecting the developing sperm from damage; too little in the diet means that sperm fail to thrive.”
A groundbreaking study of sub- fertile men at Glasgow Royal Infirmary a few years ago showed that 100mcg selenium supplements taken daily increased significantly sperm cells’ ability to swim, indicating that they had been selenium-deficient. Eleven per cent of men who took the supplement went on to father a child.
The FSA is commissioning further investigations into the effects of a selenium-enriched diet. Farmers and food manufacturers, however, are one step ahead. Waitrose launched the UK’s first selenium-enriched bread last month and other staple products, such as cereals, are likely to follow. Elsewhere, scientists are producing selenium-enriched vegetables from soil that increases selenium levels four-fold. Potatoes, onions and cabbages grown in the mineral-rich soil could be available within the next couple of years.
In the meantime, Sutton says that daily supplements containing 50-200mcg may be advisable if your intake of selenium-rich foods is low. However, she cautions against taking too much. “More than 0.35mg a day can cause a condition called selenosis which, even in its mildest form, affects skin, hair and nails. But the fact remains that most of us don’t get enough and could almost certainly benefit from consuming more.”
WHERE TO FIND IT
Sources of selenium:
Sardines (38mcg per 100g)
Prawns (16mcg per 100g)
Brazil nuts (245mcg per 100g)
Eggs (11mcg per 100g)
Wholemeal flour (53mcg per 100g)
Lean red meat (7-10mcg per 100g)
2 slices of selenium-enriched bread (40mcg per 100g)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,172-1556042,00.html