• What is Selenium?
• References

~ research data

References cited:

1. Rayman MP (2000) The Lancet 356:233-41 “The importance of selenium to human health”

2. Levander O A, and Burk R F (1999) in Present knowledge in Nutrition chapter 31, Selenium. Publishers: The Nutrition Foundation, Washington DC pp320-328.

3. Clark LC et al (1996) Journal of American Medical Association 276: 1957-1963 “Effects of selenium supplementation for cancer prevention in patients with carcinoma of the skin”.

4. Schrauzer GN (2002) “Selenium and human health : relationship of selenium status to cancer and viral disease”. Proceedings of Alltech’s 18thth Annual Symposium (Eds TP Lyons, KA Jacques), Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK.pp 263-272.

5. El- Bayoumy K (2001) Mutation Research 475:123-139. “The protective role of selenium in genetic damage and on cancer”.

6. Peretz A et al (1991), Am J Clin Nutr 53, 1323-28. “Lymphocyte response is enhanced by supplementation of elderly subjects with selenium-enriched yeast”.

7. Frost DV (1984) “Why the level of selenium in the food chain appears to be decreasing”. In Selenium in Biology and Medicine. Part A. Eds GF Combs JE Spallholz, OA Levander and J E Ollfield. pp534-547.

8. Daniels L (2004) Med J Aust 180:373-5. “Selenium: does selenium status have health outcomes beyond overt deficiency?”.

9. Lyons GH et al (2004) Med J Aust 180:383-386. “Trends in selenium status of South Australians”.

10. Schrauzer GN (2001), J Am Coll Nutr 20:1-4. “Nutritional selenium supplements: product types, quality and safety”.

11. McIntosh, GH and Royle, PJ (2002). “Supplementation of cows with organic selenium and the identification of selenium-rich protein fractions in milk”. Alltech’s Annual Symposium, 18th ed, Eds Lyons, T and Jacques K, Nottingham UK, Nottingham University Press, pp. 233-238.

12. Aro, A, Alfthan, G, Ekholm, P, Varo, P. and Frankenberger, W. et al. “Effects of selenium supplementation of fertilizers on human nutrition and selenium status”. Environmental chemistry of selenium. ed. Frankenberger, W. New York, Marcel Dekker Inc. 1998 pp. 81-97.

13. Thompson CD (2004) Br J Nutrition 91:661-672. “Selenium and iodine intakes and status in New Zealand and Australia”.

What is selenium?


Selenium is a trace element essential for human health and wellbeing. It is integral to a number of proteins with important functional roles in the maintenance of health, including antioxidant enzymes which protect the body against free radical attack. Free radicals generated in the body can be increased by some diets and may cause significant degenerative diseases which as premature aging, heart disease and/or cancers.