Selenium

[Guest guest]

ita, Selenium will be in a liquid form soon after it hits your

stomach

Seriously, there's a lot of myth out there with regard to

absorbability of minerals. It's just marketing; remember we've been

using clay licks -- inorganics -- for eons.

Duncan

>

> I dont know the sources but my dad read a couple of times that

selenium

> tablets are a waste of time and that it should be taken in liquid

form.

> Has anyone else heard this?

>

> ita

>

[Guest guest]

, the selenium is beneficial, possibly crucial, and it's been

known to reduce cancer risk and shrink existing cancer at 1100 mcg per

day, and probably less. I'd suggest the and cesiumtherapy

lists for some great insight.

Duncan

>

> That is great information on Selenium. I have a friend that has

just had a malignant brain tumor removed. Would extra selenium help

her? How much? Anything else she could take to help her? Thanks for

all of your shared knowledge.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Jeanne, suggested selenium dose would be in the range of 400-600 mcg

daily; more has been used in short programs, with 1100 mcg shrinking

tumours and dropping viral load.

Duncan

>

> Hi Duncan

> What is your suggested dosage of selenium per day? What do you

think about Guaifenisen treatment for fibromylgia? Any opinion?

>

> Jeanne

>

>

[Guest guest]

I heard that the anti-cancer effect of selenium depends very much on

it's form. Methylselenocysteine seems to have the most powerful effect

against cancer and the least toxicity at the same time. Read this article:

http://www.vrp.com/art/1371.asp?c=1175633240921 & k=/det/7822.asp & m=/ & p=no & s=0

> >

> > That is great information on Selenium. I have a friend that has

> just had a malignant brain tumor removed. Would extra selenium help

> her? How much? Anything else she could take to help her? Thanks for

> all of your shared knowledge.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Girltrekk, 3200 mcg selenium daily for a year only produced fingernail

deformities, and about 200 mcg would be a maintenance dose if arsenic

and other metals exposures are fairly low. Arsenic is a problem in

drinking water in many areas and this added selenium depletion plus

the health issues probably merits 400 mcg daily, a very safe dose.

Other studies showed tumour shrinkage and viral load reduction using

about 1100 mcg daily.

Duncan

>

> How much Selenium is safe to take? I've read 200 mcg is the limit

per

> day, is this correct?

>

> Thanks,

> girltrekk

>

[Guest guest]

>

>

>

> what are the benefits of selenium?

>

> sue

>

While it protects against the toxic effects of the pollutant cadmium, and

mercury from all

sources, it also increases the effectiveness of vitamin E, and it reduces the

chances of all

types of cancer. It is an antioxidant that helps prevent chromosome breakage in

tissue

culture. In communities where selenium intake is low, the cancer rate is high.

An adequate intake of selenium for animals is 200 parts per billion, and this is

probably

sufficient for man. But I don't know how to translate that into a dose. So I

wouldn't go

beyond 200 mcgs. It is however, crucial for the proper functioning of the human

body

beign a primary promoter of human cells mitosis/meiosis, and human " growth " .

In animals selenium deficiency is directly related to nutritional muscular

dystrophy,

spontaneous swelling and haemorrhages, pancreatic atrophy, liver necrosis and

infertility.

It appears to be stored in the liver, and remains constant in the blood until

these stores

are depleted...

It is the basis of the unique enzyme system Glutathion eperoxidase, which

destroys

peroxides before they can attack cellular membranes, while the vitamin E acts

within the

membrane itself preventing the oxidation of membrain lipids.... peroxidase

activity

represent overal selenium status... anemia in premature infants have been

attributed to

reduced glutathione activity in erythrocytes. Selenium does not substitute for

sulphur in

the body, as was once thought... but has a unique biochemical function.

Men have large stores of selenium, and secrete it in seminal fluids.

Selenosis is very rare. Too much selenium, generally absorbed from inorganic

salts or

from organic compounds in plants, produces toxic symptoms, as it is one of the

most

poisonous elements in the universe.

These include loss of hair, nails and teeth; dermatitis; lassitude and

progressive paralysis.

Acute poisoning causes fever 103 - 105... Increased respiratory and capillary

rate,

gastyroenteritis, meylitis, anorexia and even death...

In Dr Pfeiffer's book, he mentions that

One disadvantage of selenium is

its possible

tendency to increase dental caries in children up to the age of ten. Trace

elements may

alter susceptibility to caries by changing the chemical composition of the

dental enamel

during the period of tooth formation.

However, this is very old

information, and

I'm not sure quite how relevant it is... you might want to research it.

food souces are brewer's yeast, garlic, liver and aggs. manimal sources are

richer than

egetables. All foods lose selenium in processing. Brown rice has 15x the amount

of

selenium as white rice, and whole wheat bread twice as much selenium as white.

These URls might be of use:

http://www.organicfood.co.uk/vms/selenium.html

http://www.pronutrition.org/archive/200305/msg00017.php

http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/fulltext/hiv4-6.html.

http://www.wellnesstoday.com/october/minerals.htm

Yes, it is Vitamin E that works with Selenium, but I'm not really up on what

goes with what

in a big way - I think there is more to it than that as well..... This is what I

know...

Man needs sulphur and its natural contaminant, selenium for skin, hair,

fingernails and

toenails and to build certain amino acids in the cells and brain, and make

sulfonated

compounds for the joints.

Suphur has a key interaction with selenium, and is often referred to as the

stepchild of

sulphur...Ohio is very low, Dakota and Nebraska are very high...the wheat and

corn grown

in Ohio are so low in selenium, that cattle feed was, at one time, shipped from

South

Dakoa in order to supply adequate selenium, before supplemental animals feeds

with

Selenium was allowed.

Too much selenium and you can get problems. Acute poisoning causes fever,

inceased

respiratory and capillar rate, gastroenteritis, myelitis, (inflammation of the

spinal cord and

hone marrow) anorexia and even death Not to mention loss of hair, nails and

teeth,

dermatitis lassitude and progressive paralysis.

But in this country, Selenium is so low...that it just doesn't happen.

Oh, on that note, I noticed that the New Zealand recommendations for selenium

are higher

than the NIH USA. Ours are...Men 85 mcg, Woman 70 mcg, Prenant 80 mcg, lactating

85

mcg, with an upper routine limit of 200 mcg.

Back to the science.

What does selenium do? Well, with a deficiency, there is a reduction in the

activity of the

enzyme gluthathione peroxidase, and this results in reduced immune function,

which has

its greatest effect on the helper T dependent cells and productuion of Ig.M is

impaired.

Which is important since IgM is one of the front line Th1 antibodies which is

made in the

early stages of an infection.

Deficiency in selenium or Vitamin E also show reduced natural killer cell

activity.

Neutrophils and macrophages from animals with a selenium deficiency show low

glutathione peroxidase activity and a failure to kill ingested candida yeast,

yet bacteria

killing may remain okay.

With regard to the enzymes. Glutathione is essential for

-detoxification and liver function

-effective immune response

-antioxidant defence

-male fertility (in my experience, low sperm counts can be turned around by

organic diets,

Vit E, Selenium and a multi-vitamin. Only problem (for some women) is a reported

increase in male libido.......)

-blood sugar metabolism

-blood pressure regulation

-tumour inhibition

-inhibition of thrombus formation in diabetes

-prevention of neurodegenrative disorders like Alheimers disease, Parkinson

disease,

Huntington's chorea, stroke and brain trauma.

Effective Glutathione is important for T cell proliferation, development of

large CD8+ T

cells, cytotoxic T cell activity and production of CD16+ natural killer cells.

Which results in

poor response to antigen presentation, and weak immune responses to infectious

agents.

Glutathion protects and repairs liver tissue under severe acute and chronic

alcohol

exposure (not that using it gives you an excuse to abuse even more :lol )

Selenium protects against the toxic effects of the pollutants cadmium, and

mercury. It

helps prevent chromosome breakage in tissue culture...

It is interesting that children suffering from malnutrition fail to grow when

given a

recuperative diet, IF THAT DIET IS SELENIUM DEFICIENT, becauase selenium is

necessary

for protein synthesis.

This is also true in the animal world. I think I posted this here before, but

those of you

with animals, would do well to read this carefully.

http://www.bighorn.org/bio.html

That's the guts of what I know on selenium - sorry about the big words, they're

all I know..

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?

cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstract & list_uids=12169835

Biol Neonate. 2002 Aug;82(2):122-7. Related Articles, Links

Maternal selenium nutrition and neonatal immune system development.

Dylewski ML, Mastro AM, Picciano MF.

Department of Nutrition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA,

USA.

We evaluated the impact of dietary selenium intake on neonatal immune cell

differentiation

and function. A low selenium intake during pregnancy and lactation produced

reductions

in maternal plasma selenium (33%, p = 0.0001), milk selenium (36%, p = 0.001),

and

corresponding neonatal plasma selenium (47%, p = 0.008). Thymocytes from

neonates

receiving low-selenium milk showed an impaired activation in vitro (p = 0.001).

The

percentages of CD8 cytotoxic T cells (p = 0.03), CD2 T cells (p = 0.09), panB

cells ( =

0.02), and natural killer cells (p = 0.07) were all decreased in neonates nursed

by mothers

fed a low-selenium diet. The results indicate that maternal selenium intake

impacts

neonatal selenium status which in turn influences the neonatal immune system

development. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

PMID: 12169835 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

----------------------------------------------------------

http://www.rowett.ac.uk/divisions/cellular/lipids/selenium.html

Prof. R. Arthur

The focus of my research is on the mechanisms whereby selenoproteins mediate the

essential biological functions of selenium. Initial work on the role of selenium

in

iodothyronine deiodinases has led to the recognition that the micronutrient

influences

thyroid hormone and iodine metabolism as well as already widely studied

antioxidant

systems. This research has also concentrated on the role for selenium in redox

regulation

of cells as a component of thioredoxin reductase. I am investigating how

selenium-

induced changes in thioredoxin reductase activity may underlie changes in

metabolism of

lipids as well as oxidising and xenobiotic chemicals in the cell. These studies

are part of

our efforts to understand how low dietary selenium intake may contribute to the

high

incidence of coronary heart disease in Scotland (collaboration with Dr Geoff

Beckett

University of Edinburgh). I also intend to explore how selenium deficiency may

be involved

in control of cell transcription factors through redox regulation via

thioredoxin. In

collaboration with Prof. Hesketh (University of Newcastle) studies are

being carried

out to identify mechanisms of enzyme/organ targeting of selenium to

selenoproteins

involved in antioxidant systems, redox mechanisms and thyroid hormone

metabolism.

In projects funded by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) I am investigating the

effects of

selenium supplementation of adults with initially low selenium status on

selenoprotein

expression thyroid hormone metabolism and antioxidant status. This work is

associated

with further FSA funded studies to assess the influence of selenium status on

immune

function (collaboration with Professor M , University of Liverpool).

Recent Publications:

Arthur, J.R., Beckett, G.J. and , J.H. (1999).The interactions between

selenium and

iodine deficiencies in man and animals. Nutrition Research Reviews 12, 57-75.

Arthur, J.R. and Beckett, G.J. (1999). Thyroid function. British Medical

Bulletin 55,

658-668.

Brown, K.M., Pickard, K., Nicol, F., Beckett, G.J., Duthie, G.G. and Arthur,

J.R. (2000). Effect

of organic and inorganic selenium supplementation on selenoenzyme activity in

blood

lymphocytes, granulocytes platelets and erythrocytes. Clinical Science 98,

593-599.

Villar, D., Nicol, F., Arthur, J.R., Dicks, P., Cannavan, A., Kennedy, D.G. and

Rhind, S.M.

(2000). Type II and type III monodeiodinase activities in the skin of untreated

and

propylthiouracil-treated cashmere goats. Research in Veterinary Science 68,

119-123.

Arthur, J.R. (2000). The glutathione peroxidases. Cellular and Molecular Life

Sciences 57,

1825-1835.

Arthur, J.R. and Beckett, G.J. (2000). Some biochemical functions of selenium in

animals

and man. In: Trace Elements in Man and Animals 10, Roussel, A.M., , R.A.

and

Favier, A.E. (eds.), Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, pp. 843-847.

, S., , S.W., Arthur, J.R., Nicol, F., Pickard, K., Lewin, M.,

Howie, A.F. and

Beckett, G.J. (2001). Selenite protects human endothelial cells from oxidative

damage by

tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and induces thioredoxin reductase expression.

Clinical

Science 100 543-550.

Lewin, M.H., Hume, R., Howie, A.F., , K., Arthur, J.R., Nicol, F.,

, S.W. and

Beckett, G.J. (2001). Thioredoxin reductase and cytoplasmic glutathione

peroxidase

activity in human foetal and neonatal liver. BBA 1526 237-241.

http://www.ifr.bbsrc.ac.uk/public/FoodInfoSheets/selenium.html

Selenium

Introduction

Selenium was first discovered in 1817 and is named after the Greek goddess

Selene. It is a

natural component of rocks and soil and is found all over the earth but in

relatively small

quantities. In the 1930's its main biological interest was as a cause of

livestock poisoning

where its presence in the soil was at high levels compared with other areas of

the world.

Because of its widespread occurrence in soil, and therefore in plants and food,

it wasn't

until 1957 that selenium was found to be essential in animals, birds and humans.

Where is it found in food?

Selenium is found in all foods in very low concentrations, but some foods are

known to

have higher levels; this often depends on the region where it is grown. Cereals

and cereal

products, meat, fish, eggs, vegetables and fruit make up the main contributors

to the

selenium intake in the diet in that order. Foods that contain higher levels are

offal, Brazil

nuts, broccoli, shell fish and mushrooms.

What does it do in our bodies?

There are several known biological functions of selenium in our bodies. It is

part of a

group of enzymes known as glutathione peroxidases which reduce highly reactive

and

harmful hydrogen peroxides and a variety of organic hydroperoxides to less

reactive and

harmless chemical forms. Selenium is also part of the enzyme Iodothyronine 5

deiodinase

which is involved in thyroid hormone metabolism and control.

Selenium is also involved in muscle protein and sperm. Because of its role as an

antioxidant in rendering free radicals safe, selenium has been implicated as an

anti-cancer

agent and that it has been suggested that it might have a synergistic effect

when taken

with supplements of vitamin E and A. However the types of cancers it can protect

against

and the effective concentrations of selenium are not yet fully understood.

What are the current guidelines?

The current UK recommended daily allowances is 60 micrograms per day for adult

women

and 75 micrograms for adult men.

Selenium is readily absorbed from our diet and there are no known mechanisms to

regulate its absorption i.e. to prevent too much being taken up. This has meant

that in

parts of the world where high concentrations of selenium exist in the soils,

there have

been problems with toxic intakes of selenium, notably in parts of China, Russia

and South

Dakota in USA.

The therapeutic and toxic levels of selenium intake are much closer for selenium

than for

other minerals. This has led to investigations into the cumulative effects of

the different

types of selenium found in selenium supplements. Recent research has shown that

selenium supplements of inorganic origin such as selenates or selenites are

quickly

excreted from the body, whereas the opposite is true of supplements of organic

origin

such as that derived from yeast. The exact implications of these findings on the

long term

effects in the body must still be investigated.

Further reading

For non-specialised audiences:-

a.. Arthur, JR, Brown KM, Fairweather-Tait, SJ, Crews, HM. Dietary selenium: why

do we

need it and how much is enough? Nutrition and Food Science 1997; 6: 225-228

For specialised audiences:-

a.. s, LA. Selenium metabolism and bioavailability. Biological Trace

Element Research

1996; 54: 185-1996.

b.. Whanger, PD. Metabolism of selenium in humans. The Journal of Trace Elements

in

Experimental Medicine 1998; 11: 227-240.

Briefing prepared by:

Tom Fox

Diet, Health & Consumer Science Division, IFR

Issued by:

Communications Office

Institute of Food Research

Norwich Research Park

Colney

Norwich NR4 7UA, UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1603 255328

Fax: +44 (0) 1603 255168

E-mail: ifr.communications@...

www site: http://www.ifr.ac.uk

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?

cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=12766976 & dopt=Abstract

Muscle Nerve. 2003 Jun;27(6):662-8. Related Articles, Links

Skeletal muscle disorders associated with selenium deficiency in humans.

Chariot P, Bignani O.

Department of Pathology, Hopital Henri-Mondor, Creteil, France.

patrick.chariot@...-

hop-paris.fr

Skeletal muscle disorders manifested by muscle pain, fatigue, proximal weakness,

and

serum creatine kinase (CK) elevation have been reported in patients with

selenium

deficiency. The object of this report was to review the conditions in which

selenium

deficiency is associated with human skeletal muscle disorders and to evaluate

the

importance of mitochondrial alterations in these disorders. A systematic

literature review

using the Medline database and Cochrane Library provided 38 relevant articles.

The main

conditions associated with selenium deficiency fell into three categories: (1)

insufficient

selenium intake in low soil-selenium areas; (2) parenteral or enteral nutrition,

or

malabsorption; and (3) chronic conditions associated with oxidative stress, such

as chronic

alcohol abuse and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In low

soil-selenium

areas, reversibility of muscle symptoms was similar after selenium

supplementation and

placebo administration, suggesting a role for other factors in the development

of disease.

In parenteral or enteral nutrition, or malabsorption, muscle symptoms improved

after

selenium supplementation in 18 of 19 patients (median delay: 4 weeks). The

reason that

only a minority of selenium-deficient patients present with skeletal muscle

disorders is

unclear and is possibly related to cofactors, such as viral infections and

drugs. Prospective

studies of selenium-deficient myopathies would be useful in critically ill

patients, alcohol

abusers, and HIV-infected patients.

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/health/HealthRepublish_309902.htm

Bad diet makes viruses worse

Friday, 8 June 2001

The flu virus becomes more dangerous in mice lacking selenium.

A poor diet does more than weaken your immune system. It may actually make

viruses in

your body mutate to more dangerous forms.

That's the disturbing conclusion of a new study showing the influenza virus can

change to

become more virulent once it infects mice deficient in the mineral selenium.

The researchers say it's likely something similar happens in humans deficient in

selenium

and possibly other nutrients. What's more, there's evidence the finding could

extend to

other viruses as well.

" What we found could conceivably be true for any RNA virus - cold virus, Aids

virus and

Ebola virus, " says Dr Melinda Beck, from the University of North Carolina.

Selenium is present in meat and grains (such as wheat and rice) and is known to

help

boost immunity. However its effect in preventing viruses mutating to dangerous

forms is

quite separate.

The new research, together with earlier studies on cocksackie virus, suggest

nutritional

deficiencies can have a profound impact on the genetic material of RNA viruses

and may

contribute to the emergence of new viral strains and epidemics, Dr Beck says.

The study, published in the journal of the Federation of American Societies for

Experimental Biology shows that once the mutations have occurred in the flu

virus, even

mice with normal nutrition are more susceptible to the newly potent strain.

http://www.bighorn.org/bio.html

Nation & World : Sunday, September 09, 2001

Fighting a battle for little bighorns

By Polakovic

Los Angeles Times

WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS, Wyo. - The baby bighorn sheep stumbled and collapsed on

the

stony hillside, too sick and wobbly to keep up with its mother.

Jon Mionczynski, a wildlife researcher who followed the pair, had seen this

before. For

some reason, lambs born into the largest herd of bighorn sheep in the Rockies

were not

surviving.

It would be hard to find a wilder, safer sanctuary, or so it seemed. But as

scientists teamed

up with Mionczynski to unravel the mystery, they learned that there is no such

thing as

pristine wilderness and no refuge from the Industrial Age.

Mionczynski nicknamed the struggling lamb " Rambo " because of its tenacity and

pluck.

Each time it fell, it struggled to its feet, even after blinding an eye in a

tumble.

One evening, he was close to capturing Rambo for testing, but the lamb and its

mother

started down the mountain and, out of reach, hunkered down in a fortress of

boulders

near a crag called Lion Pass.

" I returned at daybreak and saw the ewe still guarding the site, " Mionczynski

recalled. " She

made a low-pitched, throaty bleat ... brrrr ... brrrr. It was like a sheep

crying, and it just

went right through me. "

When he got to the boulders, he saw fresh mountain-lion droppings. " The ewe had

a torn

ear, blood running down her face and claw marks on the side of her head, " he

said. " The

lamb was gone. That was the end of Rambo. "

In a way, the natural order had prevailed: the strong picked off the weak. But

something

was unnatural, too: what was making lambs so sick within weeks of their birth?

Why were

ewes leading weak lambs on arduous treks through cougar country to reach mineral

licks

at the base of the mountain?

The herd, which used to number about 1,250, plummeted by 30 percent in two years

during the early 1990s and never recovered. Since then only about two out of

every 10

lambs have survived.

In 1998, the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish told Mionczynski to set up a

one-

man camp at nearly 12,000 feet, track the herd's every move, study every foot of

their

mountaintop refuge, examine plants they eat and send back blood and tissue

samples of

dead and dying animals.

The job called for a meticulous observer and a skilled outdoorsman, someone who

did not

fear grizzly bears or living in a tent in snowstorms and driving winds. For

Mionczynski, it

was the dream assignment.

" I have the best job in the world, " Mionczynski said. " I'm just a peon in this

research, but I

like to think I am helping these animals. "

Now, four years into the project, scientists believe they are close to solving

the mystery.

What they have discovered suggests that profound environmental changes are

beginning

to ripple through the food chain and into the bodies of lambs. They are learning

that even

reclusive bighorn sheep, masters of evasion, can't escape pollution that falls

from the sky.

As a result, Mionczynski and others fear, these icons of wild America may be

unable to

survive in the wild without continual human intervention.

A summer thunderstorm peels off the Winds, a fitting name for the mountain range

west

of Dubois, briefly spilling rain and hail over town. Tourists pull off of U.S.

287 into the

National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center, the newest and most ornate facility

in this

two-lane town. It's located past the Ramshorn Inn Tavern, not far from the high

school

where the Rams play, a couple blocks from the Ramshorn Food Farm on Ramshorn

Street.

" This town loves these sheep and we're proud of them, " said museum Director June

Sampson. " In the winter, people can see them with spotting scopes from their

living

rooms. Hundreds of people come from all over to see the sheep. "

Rocky Mountain bighorns have thrived in these mountains southeast of Grand Teton

National Park for centuries. They are stocky and barrel-chested with petite feet

that stick

to rocks like suction cups. In the fall, rams charge one another and smash heads

at speeds

of 20 mph in battles that sometimes last all day and all night. Shoshone and

Gros Ventre

Indian tribes made powerful bows from the horns, which are still prized by

hunters as

trophies.

The herd inhabits the northern Winds in scattered bands. When they all converge

on the

sagebrush hills at the edge of town during winter, they constitute the largest

group of wild

sheep in North America. They once were so abundant that they were transplanted

to

establish new populations from South Dakota to New Mexico to Idaho.

Yet there are fewer and fewer sheep for tourists to enjoy. Barely 800 animals

remain in the

herd, which is still in decline.

No sooner had Mionczynski set up camp on Middle Mountain in June 1998 than he

saw

many lambs as feeble as Rambo. Born healthy, they grew sick shortly after ewes

made

their annual spring migration to Middle Mountain to forage. If pneumonia didn't

kill them,

predators did.

" Some were crawling on their knees. They were so sick they couldn't even get up

to nurse.

Their muscles just seemed so stiff and they had trouble breathing. They stuck

their noses

in the air, mouths open, gasping for air, " Mionczynski said.

Ranchers in the lowlands reported that the ewes ate dirt at washed-out mineral

licks. It

helped explain why ewes were leading their sick lambs down the steep mountain to

sagebrush flats that they normally visited only in winter. Something essential

was missing

from their diet. The route traversed some of the roughest country in the Winds,

including a

series of cougar ambush spots in Lion Pass.

Eventually, Mionczynski observed that lambs who nursed from the ewes that made

the

journey to lowland mineral licks did much better.

The challenge was to find the missing ingredient in the mountain forage.

Working in a makeshift lab fitted into a cave in the boulders, Mionczynski began

testing

plants the sheep eat. He discovered that the nutrient selenium had dipped to

alarmingly

low levels.

Selenium is a peculiar, sulfur-like element essential for many mammals. It is a

naturally

occurring nutrient with a twist. Just a little is needed to ensure bones,

muscles and

immune systems develop properly, but just a little more can be toxic.

Tests on Middle Mountain showed 5 parts per billion of selenium in forage

favored by

bighorns - 75 percent lower than the minimum requirement for a healthy immune

system,

according to veterinarians.

But how could selenium be in short supply? Soils across much of the West are

awash in it.

In nearby Dubois and other parts of Wyoming, range cattle are sometimes poisoned

from

ingesting too much of it.

The selenium content in plants fluctuates with weather, rising in dry years and

falling in

wet. The fluctuations correspond neatly with a 30-year lamb survival trend, with

fewer

surviving in wet years, scientists say.

At the same time, the chemical content of rainfall was changing. So was the

composition

of the soil that absorbed it.

For at least a decade, according to scientists, storms have been carrying larger

and larger

amounts of chemical contaminants and dumping them across the Rockies. Among the

chemicals are nitrates and ammonium, which can saturate the environment with

nutrients

or create acidic conditions similar to those that plague forests in the

Northeast and

Canada. The phenomenon is known as acid rain.

At the bighorn camp on Middle Mountain, scientists tracking storms and wind

currents

have traced the sources of pollutants that blow in from hundreds of miles away.

On the one hand, the pollutants fertilize plants and microorganisms. On the

other hand,

they can saturate soil and water with nutrients, causing toxic algae blooms,

harmful acids

and changes in soil chemistry.

" We're pushing the first dominoes in the food chain, and there's good evidence

it's

increasing and probably in response to nitrogen deposition, " said Mark ,

a

hydrogeochemist and fellow at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the

University

of Colorado at Boulder. " We've reached a threshold and we're at that slippery

slope where

we are headed toward dead fish and dead trees. "

Near Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, scientists have begun an

experiment to see

if pollutants are short-circuiting the selenium cycle and contributing to

declines in the

bighorn herd at St. Vrain Canyon, said Rob Roy Ramey, chairman of zoology at the

Denver

Museum of Nature and Science.

" Urbanization and sheep deaths seem to go hand in hand. We know there's a lot of

acidification of the front range of the Rockies, and this offers a perfectly

reasonable and

clear mechanism. It's a hypothesis, but it's very plausible, " Ramey said.

[Guest guest]

Sue, selenium is used in the production of the master antioxidant and

detoxifier glutathione, and as such it is used in hundreds of

reactions that relate to toxins, free radicals, immune system

viability, cell robustness and etc. It is also a crucial part of

mitochondrial energy creation in the cells, to thyroid hormone

production, and a few other reactions.

Selenium is not plentiful enough, and often not particularly

bioavailable, in food, and this is why I don't support relying on the

inadequacies of your food as proposed by Bee of the

group. Relying on an inadequacy is not supported by scientific

documentation that suggests selenium supplementation of 150-300 mcg

daily. We commonly use 200 mcg for health maintenance and 400-600 mcg

daily for disease reversal.

I'm sure you can look the rest up -- here's an interesting post in

which points out that immune cells have reduced ability to kill

candida during selenium deficiency:

candidiasis/message/51905

Linus ing Institute document on selenium:

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/selenium/

Duncan

>

>

>

> what are the benefits of selenium?

>

> sue

>

>

>

______________________________________________________________________

______________Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect.

Join 's user panel and lay it on us.

http://surveylink./gmrs/_panel_invite.asp?a=7

>

[Guest guest]

Karaka, it's unfortunate you had to guess on selenium dosage after

all that work. You're right 200 mcg is useful as a maintenance dose,

but any pollutants such as arsenic in the drinking water, other

metals and toxins, inflammation and illness reduce selenium and

glutathione so to compensate you'd of course need a higher dose of

both selenium and glutahtione precursors. 400-600 mcg will cover most

of this. The fact that in the research 3200 mcg daily for a year only

resulted in fingernail deformities should allay fears about dosage.

On the term " glutathione precursors " -- selenium has very few uses

that are not relevant to glutathione production, which is why we use

undenatured whey for its rich source of glutathione precursors. So

when one increases selenium, more raw food and more undenatured whey

should be used too.

Duncan

>...I don't know how to translate that into a dose. So I wouldn't go

> beyond 200 mcgs. It is however, crucial for the proper functioning

of the human body

> beign a primary promoter of human cells mitosis/meiosis, and

human " growth " .

[Guest guest]

Correct. I am restricted by regulations which govern people with healthcare

Licenses

> >...I don't know how to translate that into a dose. So I wouldn't go

> > beyond 200 mcgs. It is however, crucial for the proper functioning

> of the human body

> > beign a primary promoter of human cells mitosis/meiosis, and

> human " growth " .

>

[Guest guest]

Karaka, you are aware that people who may be selenium deficient

through depletion because they have been ill, have little in the

groundwater or diet and maybe have been exposed to arsenic are doing

better on 400-600 mcg than 200 mcg of selenium? So, even if you do

advise the clients officially that YOU can't recomend more than 200

mcg, that the option for more benefit exists for some people? I mean,

this is how you often dig the other 25% out of a disease condition,

right?

Duncan

> > >...I don't know how to translate that into a dose. So I wouldn't

go

> > > beyond 200 mcgs. It is however, crucial for the proper

functioning

> > of the human body

> > > beign a primary promoter of human cells mitosis/meiosis, and

> > human " growth " .

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Duncan what is the best form of selenium to take?

Thanks

Re: Selenium

> Karaka, you are aware that people who may be selenium deficient

> through depletion because they have been ill, have little in the

> groundwater or diet and maybe have been exposed to arsenic are doing

> better on 400-600 mcg than 200 mcg of selenium?

[Guest guest]

Correct again.

> > > >...I don't know how to translate that into a dose. So I wouldn't

> go

> > > > beyond 200 mcgs. It is however, crucial for the proper

> functioning

> > > of the human body

> > > > beign a primary promoter of human cells mitosis/meiosis, and

> > > human " growth " .

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

, selenomethionine, a selenium and amino acid molecule usually

concentrated from yeast, is considered to be the most bioavailable

selenium supplement.

Duncan

>

> Duncan what is the best form of selenium to take?

>

> Thanks

>

>

> Re: Selenium

>

>

> > Karaka, you are aware that people who may be selenium deficient

> > through depletion because they have been ill, have little in the

> > groundwater or diet and maybe have been exposed to arsenic are

doing

> > better on 400-600 mcg than 200 mcg of selenium?

>

[Guest guest]

IF --- IF --- the Brazil nuts are indeed from the selenium-rich soils

of central Brazil, they contain selenium. I take 200 mcg selenium from

yeast source (selenomethionine) and don't bother to find out where my

Brazil nuts or selenium-concentrating vegetables are grown. If they're

from central America they don't contain selenium.

Duncan

>

> Is it necessary to take a selenium supplement or would say 5 brazil

> nuts (or an ounce), providing around 550 mcg of selenium?

>

> thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

So I presume 100mg per day is ok to take.

Or should I cut that in half, and take 50mg per day?

Or take 100mg every 2 days or longer?

Any opinions?

love

don in ks

From: swarfiel@... <swarfiel@...>Subject: [ ] Selenium Cc: " Christ" <ludichrist2000@...>Date: Saturday, July 18, 2009, 10:49 PM

Selenium is a non metal. Trace amounts are important to cellular function. If you look at most vitamin bottles they contain minerals, like Nickel, Selenium. An intake of 400 mcg a day is toxic, according to their study below:SeleniumFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaGeneral Name, Symbol, Number selenium, Se, 34 Element category nonmetals Selenium (pronounced /səˈliËniÉ™m/) is a chemical element with the atomic number 34, represented by the chemical symbol Se, an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, chemically related to sulfur and tellurium, and rarely occurs in its elemental state in nature,Selenium salts are toxic in large amounts, but trace amounts of the element are necessary for cellular function in most, if not all, animals, forming the active center of the enzymes glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase (which indirectly reduce certain oxidized

molecules in animals and some plants) and three known deiodinase enzymes (which convert one thyroid hormone to another). Selenium requirements in plants differ by species, with some plants apparently requiring noneHealth effects and nutritionAlthough it is toxic in large doses, selenium is an essential micronutrient for animals. In plants, it occurs as a bystander mineral, sometimes in toxic proportions in forage (some plants may accumulate selenium as a defense against being eaten by animals, but other plants such as locoweed require selenium, and their growth indicates the presence of selenium in soil).[3] It is a component of the unusual amino acids selenocysteine and selenomethionine. In humans, selenium is a trace element nutrient which functions as cofactor for reduction of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidases and certain forms of thioredoxin reductase found in animals and some plants (this enzyme occurs in all living

organisms, but not all forms of it in plants require selenium).Dietary selenium comes from nuts, cereals, meat, fish, and eggs. Brazil nuts are the richest ordinary dietary source (though this is soil-dependent, since the Brazil nut does not require high levels of the element for its own needs). High levels are found in kidney, tuna, crab and lobster, in that order.[12][13]ToxicityAlthough selenium is an essential trace element, it is toxic if taken in excess. Exceeding the Tolerable Upper Intake Level of 400 micrograms per day can lead to selenosis.[15] This 400 microgram Tolerable Upper Intake Level is primarily based on a 1986 study of five Chinese patients who exhibited overt signs of selenosis and a follow up study on the same five people in 1992.[16] The 1992 study actually found the maximum safe dietary Se intake to be approximately 800 micrograms per day (15 micrograms per kilogram body weight), but suggested 400

micrograms per day to not only avoid toxicity, but also to avoid creating an imbalance of nutrients in the diet and to account for data from other countries.[17] The Chinese people who suffered from selenium toxicity ingested selenium by eating corn grown in extremely selenium-rich stony coal (carbonaceous shale). This coal was shown to have selenium content as high as 9.1%, the highest concentration in coal ever recorded in literature.[18]------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Does anyone have any experience with selenium tablets?

Does selenium improve T4 - T3 conversion?

Ciozda

[Guest guest]

I take the NOW which is seleneomethionine...no idea if this is the best or what.

________________________________

From: Tony <tony_moffat@...>

candidiasis

Sent: Sat, September 18, 2010 5:32:37 PM

Subject: Selenium

 

What kind of selenium does everyone take. seleneomethionine, selenium yeast, or

others?

[Guest guest]

I have read that selenium yeast is the ONLY form of selenium that heals the

body. Cant find the article right now, but will look for it and post. Apprentely

our bodies recognize the yeast form and not the synthetic form of the vitamin.

>

> I take the NOW which is seleneomethionine...no idea if this is the best or

what.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

That's pretty much true for anything you put in your body - your body does not

recognize fake vitamins - it just wants to get rid of anything that is not food.

Just passes right through. Get your nutrients from food, and your body knows

exactly what to do with food.

Carol

Apprentely our bodies recognize the yeast form and not the synthetic form of

the vitamin.