Neesha Choudhary shared post from Shivam Kumar

01 Jan 1970 05:30 AM

Selenium DeficiencySelenium deficiency produces biochemical changes that might predispose people who experience additional stresses to develop certain illnesses [6]. For example, selenium deficiency in combination with a second stress (possibly a viral infection) leads to Keshan disease, a cardiomyopathy that occurred in parts of China prior to a government-sponsored selenium supplementation program that began in the 1970s [2,5,8,23]. Before the Chinese government supplementation program, adults in the Keshan disease areas had average selenium intakes of no more than 11 mcg/day; intakes of at least 20 mcg/day protect adults from Keshan disease [6].Selenium deficiency is also associated with male infertility and might play a role in Kashin-Beck disease, a type of osteoarthritis that occurs in certain low-selenium areas of China, Tibet, and Siberia [1,2,5,6,8,24]. Selenium deficiency could exacerbate iodine deficiency, potentially increasing the risk of cretinism in infants [2,5].Groups at Risk of Selenium InadequacySelenium deficiency is very rare in the United States and Canada, and selenium deficiency in isolation rarely causes overt illness [6]. The following groups are among those most likely to have inadequate intakes of selenium.