Alzheimers's Disease has an important relation with selenium deficiency - Study

[Gert van der Hoek]

• Cited by 34
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• Volume 103, Issue 6
• March 2010, pp. 803-806

Nutritional status of selenium in Alzheimer's disease patients

• B?rbara Rita Cardoso ^(a1), Thomas Prates Ong ^(a1), Wilson Jacob-Filho ^(a2), Omar Jaluul ^(a2) ...
• • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114509992832
  • Published online: 01 December 2009

Abstract

Studies have shown that various antioxidants are decreased in different age-related degenerative diseases and thus, oxidative stress would have a central role in the pathogenesis of many disorders that involve neuronal degeneration, including Alzheimer's disease (AD).

The present study aimed to assess the nutritional status of Se in AD patients and to compare with control subjects with normal cognitive function. The case?control study was carried out on a group of elderly with AD (n 28) and compared with a control group (n 29), both aged between 60 and 89 years. Se intake was evaluated by using a 3-d dietary food record. Se was evaluated in plasma, erythrocytes and nails by using the method of hydride generation atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Deficient Se intake was largely observed in the AD group. AD patients showed significantly lower Se levels in plasma, erythrocytes and nails (32?59 μg/l, 43?74 μg/l and 0?302 μg/g) when compared with the control group (50?99 μg/l, 79?16 μg/l and 0?400 μg/g).

The results allowed us to suggest that AD has an important relation with Se deficiency.

[Gert van der Hoek]

“The idea that everyone should be taking selenium supplements in the off-chance they could help is not warranted and potentially dangerous,” said Jason Baker, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. “People should focus on getting selenium from their diets, which isn’t difficult in places like the U.S.”

Selenium is easily absorbed from food. Its content can vary considerably depending on the selenium content of the soil where the animal was raised or the plant was grown, as the recent study in China demonstrated. In general, top selenium sources include organ meats, seafood, poultry, wheat and Brazil nuts.

[Gert van der Hoek]

long term consumption of high doses of selenium can lead to complications such as gastrointestinal upsets, hair loss, white blotchy nails, garlic breath odor, fatigue, irritability, and mild nerve damage. (1) Additionally, supplementing selenium in the context of low iodine status may actually aggravate hypothyroidism.