Selenium is micromineral and powerful antioxidant that protects your body from harmful free radicals. It also operates in the protective ability of the body. In this article I will discuss this nutrient in more detail and give you a summary of the main functions, the best food sources, recommended daily allowances (RDAs) and the potentially harmful effects of drinking too much or too little.
1) DISCOVERY:
Selenium was discovered in 1818 in two Swedish chemist Jons Jakob Berzelius and JG Gahn who have studied the chemical within sulfuric acid. During the study, they found that the chemicals contained a new element that has become known as selenium.
2) Function:
3) RDA:
Must consume more selenium as you get older. Children aged between 0 and 6 months is recommended to consume 0.015 milligrams (mg) of this nutrient each day. This requirement is increased to 0.04mg per day for children aged between 9 and 13.RDA for adults aged 14 years and older was 0.055mg per upper limit (TUL) for this nutrient is 0.4mg a day.
4) Food sources:
Nuts and fish are two of the best food selenium. Some of the richest sources of Brazil nut (1.92mg per 100g), mixed nuts (0.42mg per 100g), salmon (0.038mg per 100g) and shrimp (0.048mg per 100 g ).
5) Overdose Symptoms:
6) Deficiency symptoms:
Dietary selenium deficiencies are very rare and usually seen only in countries where the soil has a very low concentration of selenium. Intravenous feeding and serious gastrointestinal problems can also cause. Symptoms include lack of Kashin-Beck disease (bone and joint disorders), Keshan disease (heart disorder), Myxedematous endemic cretinism (a disease that causes mental retardation) and osteoarthritis (a chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints ).