Researchers call Selenium 'useless' mineral

[Sepp]

Today, a friend sent a link to an article in which two US-based researchers - Alexey Lobanov and Vadim Gladyshev of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Dolph Hatfield of the National Institutes of Health - are quoted as arguing that an evolutionary change in history lessened our dependency on selenium as an essential mineral. Consequently, they argue that

Selenium-containing proteins evolved in prehistoric times. Several human disorders have been associated with a deficiency in the trace element, among them are Keshan disease, a heart disorder affecting primarily children in certain provinces of China where the soil is deficient in selenium, and Myxedermatous Endemic Cretinism, a rare form of mongolism attributed to deficiencies in selenium and iodine found in certain areas of Africa. Selenium supplementation was thought to be necessary to prevent these and other diseases even in the areas with adequate selenium supply. The evolved reduced reliance on selenium invites questions regarding the widely accepted use of supplements incorporating this trace element to maximize amounts of proteins that rely on it. Supplements are taken without knowing which groups of the population can benefit.

The clincher is a direct quote from one of the researchers:

Gladyshev concludes:

“The evolved reduced utilization of selenium-containing proteins in mammals raises important questions in human and animal nutrition. Selenoprotein expression is regulated such that people don’t need to rely so heavily on dietary selenium which is often present in excess amounts in the diet. Individuals should consider their age, sex and medical needs before taking such supplements on a regular basis.”

This, of course, goes counter a wealth of information we have about the utility of selenium in human nutrition and about a low selenium status in many a population, so I replied to my friend:

Well, the contention of these "scholars" contradicts much of what we know about selenium and the benefits of supplying enough of it in the diet or, for that matter, through supplementation.

Just as an example, see Avian Flu - A Selenium Deficiency Disease

Could someone or something be trying to keep us sick?

[Sepp]

Great Cal,

(sorry I didn't reply at the time, I am spread a bit thin). Here comes Beldeu Singh from Malaysia with a great article that explains the antioxidant pathways that depend on selenium (and a few other minerals) to function.

There really hasn't come anything along to make selenium less important than it is and has been historically. If anything, Selenium is our best protection from such things as cancer, and those new hyped-up epidemics that they say will for sure devour us: Aids and the Bird Flu.

So yes, eat some Brazil nuts and if you're interested in how this works, check out Beldeu's article, which at the same time is a chapter in his upcoming book.

BeldeuSingh-Selenoproteins.pdf

[Cal Crilly]

"Supplements are taken without knowing which groups of the population can benefit."
Could be true but if you're ill you need more Selenium.

Selenium pills 'may combat HIV'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6623631.stm

“Selenium deficiency in our mice increased the virulence of an already virulent strain of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3/20) and also allowed conversion of a non-virulent strain (CVB3/0) to virulence. Such conversion of CVB3/0 was accompanied by a change in the viral genome to more closely match that of the virulent virus, CVB3/20. As far as the authors are aware, this is the first report of host nutrition influencing the genetic make-up of an invading pathogen.”
Selenium and viral virulence.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10746343&dopt=Abstract

“As far as the authors are aware, this is the first report of host nutrition influencing the genetic make-up of an invading pathogen.”

“Summary We measured the serum selenium concentration in 64 patients with uncomplicated viral (n=33) or bacterial (n=31) infections during the acute stage of infection, during the early convalescent phase and after a minimum recovery period of three weeks and compared it to serum iron values. Both selenium (mean ± SEM: 70.3±2.3 µg/l vs 79.4±2.2 µg/l, p<0.0001) and iron (8.4±0.8 µg/l vs 16.7±0.9 µg/l, p<0.0001) concentrations showed significant depressions in the acute stage of infection compared with the values after the recovery. The reduction of serum selenium did not correlate with the severity of infection measured by fever. We conclude that acute infections decrease serum selenium levels regardless of the infective agent. The changes are of interest because of the possible connection between selenium and the immune system.”
Serum selenium in acute infections
http://www.springerlink.com/content/jmv5675252x26512/

“Adults and children with advanced AIDS syndrome display both highly depleted selenium plasma stores and reduced CD4 Cell counts. Foster argues that the fall of selenium levels trigger the reduction in CD4 cells, which in turn cause further decline in serum selenium.
Retroviruses like HIV depress selenium levels in their hosts by encoding the gene for the human selonenzyme glutathione peroxidase. This allows the virus to replicate indefinitely by continuously depriving the host of glutathione (an inhibitor of reverse transcriptase,) and the four basic components of glutathione peroxidase: selenium, cysteine, glutamine and tryptophan.”
“Prof Luc Montagnier (the co-discoverer of HIV) states that AIDS is characterised by a persistent oxidative imbalance and a decrease of glutathione.”
Selenium Conquers AIDS?
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/AidsandSelenium.php

"In the 1970s and 1980s, the relationship between selenium and cancer in laboratory animals was extensively investigated, resulting in discoveries that several selenocompounds inhibit or retard carcinogenesis. These experiments in animal carcinogenesis indicated that super-nutritional levels (about 30 times the nutritional requirement) of selenium gave the greatest protection."
Selenium & Cancer: New Views
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w97/selenium.html

Handy stuff, eat some Brazil nuts