| The populations in parts of Europe, New Zealand, Eastern USA and the UK are consuming less selenium (Se) than is generally recommended. The 1991 COMA report gives a reference nutrient intake of 1m g/Kg/Day (approx. 75 m g/day) for adults, yet recent figures show the average dietary intake in the UK is about half this amount. This is due to the decrease in consumption of imported Canadian wheat, grown in soil which has naturally higher concentrations of Se than in Europe.
Nutritional Se deficiency disease, due to low soil Se content, is well recognized in British livestock. Se has multiple biochemical metabolic functions in the body and this brief discussion will look at the nutritional importance of Se in disease prevention and consequences of inadequate intake |