Selenium deficiency and human disease

Abstract

The beneficial role of selenium became apparent in the 1950’s, when it was shown to prevent a variety of diseases in animals, often when these animals were already exhibiting vitamin E deficiency. In humans, there are several examples of disease that can be attributed to selenium deficiency, and for some, the ultimate causal relationship has been established by the demonstration that symptoms can be alleviated with selenium supplementation of the at risk population. This is true both in cases where diseases associated with selenium deficiency are endemic in areas of low selenium consumption, such as Keshan disease, Keshin-Beck disease and myxedematous cretinism, as well as in circumstances where selenium deficiency results from other pre-existing health conditions. The consequences of too little dietary selenium can be considered in the context of the decline of specific selenium-containing proteins, many of which have only recently been identified.