Frequent consumption of honey, tea and ham may be effective to improve selenium concentration

Frequent consumption of honey, tea and ham may be effective to improve selenium concentration

Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism
2004 May 6;48(3):134-140
Frequent consumption of honey, tea and ham may be effective to improve selenium concentration in selenium-inadequate individuals
Selenium has recently gained attention for its indirect, albeit important role as an antioxidant. Selenium is a component of glutathione peroxidases, a family of antioxidant enzymes that aid in preventing lipid peroxidation and membrane damage that can result from free radicals. Studies indicate the selenium status is highly dependent upon dietary sources of selenium which can be highly variable depending upon the selenium content of the soil from which the given food originates. The purpose of this study was to assess which foods or food groups best affect serum selenium in subjects with low selenium status (i.e., selenium concentrations < 70 microg/L). One hundred and twenty-nine subjects residing in Poland completed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Serum selenium concentrations were determined using the electrothermal absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) technique following serum dilution. The consumption of ham, honey and tea was positively associated with the selenium concentration in the sera of selenium-inadequate subjects. In The selenium concentrations in the sera of the selenium-adequate subjects were positively correlated with the frequencies of wholegrain bread consumption and processed fruit consumption. These results suggest that frequent consumption of ham, tea and honey may be effective to improve the selenium concentration of selenium-inadequate subjects.
Research Article Category: Miscellaneous