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Selenium

Mineral: selenium

Daily Value:none (55 mcg RDA male; 55 mcg female)

Hazardous level: 400 mcg (uncertain what maximum safe level is)

Average intake in US diet: 108 mcg

Function: present in the active site of glutathione peroxidase, which protects cells from free radical damage; FDA has approved a claim that selenium helps prevent cancer (http://www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/135/2/354). However, because the average intake in the U.S. exceeds the RDA, only those in locations with low selenium soils are likely to have any need, and there is hazard with high dosages.

SENIOR DOSAGE RATIONALE: 70 mcg x 150% - minimum daily intake

KEY NOTES AND REFERENCES:

Selenium is dangerous. Most vitamin manufacturers include selenium in their antioxidant pills because it

is fashionable - but it is extremely unsafe. And as proven above, selenium supplementation is unnecessary

if one has adequate stores of vitamins C and E, the primary antioxidants which are completely safe. (there

are more refs on this, I will find them when needed).

1. Malcolm J Jackson et al, An increase in selenium intake improves immune function and poliovirus handling in adults with marginal selenium status Am J Clin Nutr 2004 80: 154-162

Background: Dietary selenium intakes in many countries, including the United Kingdom, are lower than international recommendations. No functional consequences of these lower intakes have been recognized, although experimental studies suggest that they might contribute to reduced immune function, increased cancer incidence, and increased susceptibility to viral disease. Conclusions: The data indicate that these subjects had a functional selenium deficit with suboptimal immune status and a deficit in viral handling. They also suggest that the additional 100 µg Se/d may be insufficient to support optimal function. [Daily Value for selenium is 55 mcg. Hazardous level is 400 mcg.]

2. Whitney, E.N., and Rolfes, S.R. Understanding Nutrition, West Publishing, Minneapolis, 1993

pg 430 - Selenium ' "High doses of selenium are toxic. The inappropriate use of selenium

supplements as an anticancer agent increases the possibility of selenium overdose."

Williams, S. R., Nutrition and Diet Therapy, Mosby, St. Louis, 1993, pg. 712

"Selenium is also toxic in high chronic doses, but the level at which this toxicity occurs is

uncertain."

3. Hathcock, J. N. "Safety limits for nutrients", J. Nutr. 126: 2386S-89S(1996)

"The RfD method uses a no observed adverse effect level or a lowest observed effect level [to

determine the maximum safe dosage of nutrients established by the Environmental Protection

Agency and utilized by the Food and Nutrition Board to set safe limits for nutrients.]" Table 1

shows the RfD [safe level of ingestion] of selenium is at most 350 mcg per day. "If the

composite SF [safety factor] is adjusted to 10, the resulting RfD is 100 mcg/day, a limit that may

be deemed appropriate by many nutritionists."

4. Levander, O. A., and Whanger, P. D. "Deliberations and evaluations of the approaches, endpoints, and

paradigms for selenium and iodine dietary recommendations", J. Nutr. 126: 2427S-34S (1996)

Table 1 shows the mean dietary intakes of U.S. men and women (90 and 74 mcg/day respectively)

are in excess of the RDAs (70mcg/day). "[50 mcg/day] was selected [by the Food and Nutrition

Board] as the lower limit of the Estimated Safe and Adequate Daily Dietary Intake of this mineral.

The upper limit...was set at 200 mcg/d" "It was found that [41 mcg/day] was sufficient to maximize

plasma glutathione peroxidase activity [the important antioxidant function of selenium]"

Watson, R. R. and Leonard, T. K., "Selenium and Vitamins A, E, and C: Nutrients with Cancer Prevention

Properties", J. Am. Dietetic Assoc. 86:505-510 (1986)

"It has been estimated that 35% of all cancer incidence is related to diet." "Vitamin E spares

selenium."[therefore, if you take enough vitamin E, you don't need selenium] "toxicity occurs at low

dietary levels in animals, indicating a small range of safe intake." "Selenium compounds possess a

high degree of toxicity, and an excess may have severe consequences...Only [with more human

studies] should general use of selenium supplements be considered."

WHITE PAPER REFERENCES FOR SENIOR FORMULATION

Anonymous, "Selenium May Protect against prostate, colon, and lung cancer", Nutr and the MD

23: 6-7 (1997)

"The supplemented [with 200 mcg selenium] group had significantly fewer total

carcinomas (RR, 0.55), prostate cancers (RR, 0.37), colorectal cancers (RR,0.42), and

lung cancers (RR, 0.54) " "we are not ready yet for a public health recommendation for

selenium supplementation"

Burney, PGJ, Comstock, GW, and Morris, JS, "Serologic precursors of cancer: serum

micronutrients and the subsequent risk of pancreatic cancer", Am J Clin Nutr 1989: 49: 895-900

"the strongest effect shown in this study was that between pancreatic cancer and serum

lycopene."- cancer patients had higher selenium levels than controls

Kuklinski, B. and Koepcke, E., "Interaction between vitamin E and selenium under clinical

conditions", pg. 949 in Packer, L. and Fuchs, J., eds. "Vitamin E in health and disease", Marcel

Dekker, Inc., New York, 1993.

Figure 1: Age and serum concentrations

Selenium levels decrease about 10% from age 29-79

vitamin E levels increase- selenium levels decrease with age by about 10%

Watson, R. R. and Leonard, T.K., "Selenium and vitamins A, E, and C: Nutrients with cancer

prevention properties," J. Am. Diet. Ass 86: 505-10 (1986)

Table 1: conservative recommendations for levels of possible

cancer prevention toxicity

A 12,500 25,000

E 200-800 IU safe

C 1,000 mg safe

selenium 50-200 mcg 200 mcg*

*not recommended as safe because of severe toxicity with high doses

- 50-200 mcg to prevent cancer; significant toxicity above 200 mcg; high vitamin E levels

reduce selenium requirement; "carcinogenic effects were enhanced by both a deficiency and an

excess of selenium"; "an excess may have severe consequences"

Pennington, J.A.T., Young, B.E., "Total Diet study nutritional elements, 1982-1989", J Am Diet

Assoc 91: 179-83 (1991) - selenium intakes were 109-250% above RDA each year for each

group in natl. Diet studies

Frishman, R., "Aging alters mineral needs", Harvard Health Letter 21: 6 (Apr 1996)

"As scientists look more closely at aging, however, they've begun to suspect that the

mineral requirements of a person who is 75 may not be the same as those of a 55-year

old" "dietary recommendations for young and middle-aged adults - those for calcium,

magnesium, and chromium-are not appropriate for older people" "recommended intakes

of iron, zinc, copper, and selenium are probably just as appropriate for older as younger

adults." "There is no evidence that older Americans are short on [magnesium], and there

is scant reason for any healthy adult to take magnesium supplements." "[Chromium] is

another nutrient that need not be purchased." - current RDA is appropriate for elderly

WHITE PAPER REFERENCES FOR STAY WELL FORMULATIONS

Meydani, S. at 1996 AGE meeting:

selenium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids may be useful when ill - must be sodium selenite

- 500 mg vitamin E makes immune system like young people, blocks cyclooxygenase

type 2

Sakurai, H. and Tsuchiya, K., "A tentative recommendation for the maximum daily intake of

selenium", Environ Physiol Biochem 5: 107-18 (1975)

"a value of 500 mcg is proposed as the tentative maximum acceptable daily intake of

selenium for the protection of human health"

Levander, O. A., and Whanger, P. D. "Deliberations and evaluations of the approaches, endpoints, and

paradigms for selenium and iodine dietary recommendations", J. Nutr. 126: 2427S-34S (1996)

Table 1 shows the mean dietary intakes of U.S. men and women (90 and 74 mcg/day respectively)

are in excess of the RDAs (70mcg/day). "[50 mcg/day] was selected [by the Food and Nutrition

Board] as the lower limit of the Estimated Safe and Adequate Daily Dietary Intake of this mineral.

The upper limit...was set at 200 mcg/d" "It was found that [41 mcg/day] was sufficient to maximize

plasma glutathione peroxidase activity [the important antioxidant function of selenium]"