Food sources of selenium

Although too much selenium can actually be toxic to the system, research indicates the majority of the population is not getting enough of the essential mineral.

Selenium create methylated selenium in the body. This methylated form of selenium has been found to reduce tumor risk.

Supplementation with selenium has been found to decreases the risk of prostate cancer.

The good news is there are some good dietary sources of selenium: Mushrooms, egg yolks, fish, poultry and kidney, liver and muscle meats contain the mineral. Vegetables -- garlic, onions, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes and others -- as well as whole grains and seeds can also be good sources of selenium.

Cereal products make a major contribution to intake because of the relatively large amount of them consumed in most diets.

Meat and seafood are reliable dietary sources of selenium. Meat and seafood contain selenium in its functional form as selenoproteins. Virtually all animal proteins contain selenomethionine obtained when the animal consumes selenium from plants.

However, because the amount of selenium in vegetables and grains depends on the selenium content in the soil in which they are grown, it can be hard for average consumers to know how much of the mineral they are actually getting in their diets.

The selenium content of food is largely dependent on the content of volcanic ash in the soil, on which the food was grown, with higher volcanic ash content yielding higher selenium levels. Soil that is irrigated by seawater, such as much of California's cropland, also contains higher levels of selenium.

Selenium is required for the synthesis of glutathione peroxide enzyme, which protects cells and erythrocytes from peroxidation. Deficiency of selenium can cause a number of disorders such as white-muscle disease and cardiovascular disease in humans and animals.
Food sources of selenium