No evidence of selenosis from a selenium-rich diet in the Brazilian Amazon

Lemire, Mélanie; Philibert, Aline; Fillion, Myriam; Passos, Carlos José Sousa; Guimarães, Jean Rémy Davée; Barbosa, Fernando; Mergler, Donna

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2011.07.005

Cited by 58 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Selenium in Brazil nuts is found in selenomethionine and selenocysteine species, and studies show that selenomethionine concentration ranges from 75 to 90 % [46,47]. Despite high selenium content in Brazil nuts, no participants complained of symptoms associated with selenosis, as observed by Lemire et al [48]. The lack of toxicity occurs because selenomethionine, which presents high bioavailability, either can be reduced to hydrogen selenide for selenoprotein synthesis, or can nonspecifically replace methionine in proteins of plasma and blood [45,49].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Effects of Brazil nut consumption on selenium status and cognitive performance in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled pilot trial

et al. 2015

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Effects of Brazil nut consumption on selenium status and cognitive performance in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled pilot trial

et al. 2015

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“…However, more recent studies suggest that the organic forms of Se found in food may be less toxic than those found in occupational settings, nutritional supplements or drinking water (Rayman, 2012). Indeed, no evidence of selenium toxicity was found in the Brazilian Amazon, a fish-eating population with blood Se status at times surpassing 1000 μg/L (Lemire et al, 2006;Lemire et al, 2012). In Northern and Amazonian populations highly exposed to MeHg, high Se intake may partially offset MeHg-mediated oxidative stress and/or be required to maintain optimal Se-enzyme levels.…”

Section: All (N = 702)mentioning

confidence: 93%

Local country food sources of methylmercury, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids in Nunavik, Northern Quebec

Lemire

Kwan

Laouan-Sidi

et al. 2015

Science of The Total Environment

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Country foods are central to Inuit culture and replete in selenium (Se) and long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA). However, some marine country foods bioaccumulate high concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg). Se and n-3 are associated with several health benefits in Nunavik, Northern Quebec, but, recent studies show that prenatal MeHg exposure is associated with visual, cognitive and behavioral deficit later in childhood. The study objectives are to identify contemporary country food sources of MeHg, Se and long-chain n-3 PUFA in Nunavik, particularly among childbearing-age women, taking into account regional differences in consumption profiles. The contribution of different country foods to daily MeHg, Se, long-chain n-3 PUFA intake (μg/kg body weight/day) was estimated using: (i) country food consumption and blood biomarkers data from the 2004 Nunavik Health Survey (387 women, 315 men), and (ii) data on MeHg, Se, long-chain n-3 PUFA concentrations found in Nunavik wildlife species. In the region where most traditional beluga hunting takes place in Nunavik, the prevalence of at-risk blood Hg (≥ 8 μg/L) in childbearing-age women was 78.4%. While most country foods presently consumed contain low MeHg, beluga meat, not a staple of the Inuit diet, is the most important contributor to MeHg: up to two-thirds of MeHg intake in the beluga-hunting region (0.66 of MeHg intake) and to about one-third in other regions. In contrast, seal liver and beluga mattaaq - beluga skin and blubber - only mildly contributed to MeHg (between 0.06 and 0.15 of MeHg intake), depending on the region. Beluga mattaaq also highly contributed to Se intake (0.30 of Se intake). Arctic char, beluga blubber and mattaaq, and seal blubber contributed to most long-chain n-3 PUFA intake. This study highlights the importance of considering interconnections between local ecosystems and dietary habits to develop recommendations and interventions promoting country foods' benefits, while minimizing the risk of MeHg from beluga meat, especially for childbearing-age women.

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“…effects of higher Se levels on motor performance [46] and reduced risk for cataracts [47], Se toxicity may be associated with longer-term disturbances, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease [2,41,48], and further study is warranted to fully establish the long-term safety of Se supplementation through diet. • Brazil nuts can be used as a dietary selenium supplement.…”

Section: A C C E P T E D Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the present work, different biomarkers were used to cover different periods of Se exposure: plasma and urine were used as markers of current exposure; erythrocytes reflect longer-term nutritional status, due to their half-life of 120 d; and nails and hair were useful as long-term biomarkers and reflect tissue Se levels [1,[34][35][36] [38,41]. A doctor clinically evaluated the children in our study, but no signs of selenosis were observed in both groups, consistent with other studies of Amazon populations [31,41].…”

Section: A C C E P T E D Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%