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Increased intakes of selenium‐enriched foods may benefit human health
Author(s) -
Finley John Weldon
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2943
Subject(s) - dietary reference intake , reference daily intake , environmental health , health benefits , agriculture , essential nutrient , human health , allowance (engineering) , selenium , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , nutrient , gerontology , biology , chemistry , traditional medicine , engineering , mechanical engineering , ecology , organic chemistry
Selenium is an essential nutrient and deficient intakes compromise health in domestic animals and humans. A recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 55 µg d −1 has been set for adult males and females in the United States; most North Americans consume more than this amount, but many residents of Europe, Asia and Africa consume less. While there are very few reports of outright Se deficiency in people consuming mixed Western diets that have Se intakes below the RDA, there is evidence that dietary intakes of selenium greater than the requirement may help reduce the risk of cancer, especially prostate cancer, to men. Selenium metabolism depends on the chemical form of Se in the diet, and some forms are better for some actions (e.g., cancer reduction) than other forms. Foods may contain different amounts and chemical forms of Se; consequently the benefits of Se may depend on the particular foods consumed. There are many reports of the chemistry and health benefits of Se from plant foods; animal foods also contain Se, but there are fewer reported studies. Fully understanding the health benefits of Se that may be gained by consumption of Se‐enriched foods will require multidisciplinary approaches by teams of medical researchers, chemists, nutritionists, and agricultural scientists. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry