Selenium Content of Food Consumed by Canadians

Abstract

Four composite diets from three cities, each representing the daily per capita consumption of foods in Canada, contained on analysis 191, 220, 113, and 150 mug selenium. Cereals provided the most selenium (62-112 mug) followed by meat, poultry, and fish (25-90 mug) and dairy products (5-25 mug). The average daily intake of selenium in Canada was also calculated from published analytical data and the per capita disappearance of unprepared foods. The total intake was 197 mug/day, and the major sources were wheat flour (98 mug), pork (21 mug), poultry products (24 mug), and fish (17 mug). Because the average diet is rich in selenium, the possibility of a deficiency in the adult is considered to be remote. Milk is relatively low in selenium, and thus the greatest deprivation in humans would occur during infancy.

Selenium in serum as a possible parameter for assessment of breast disease

“…The question asked by some investigators [41,42] as to whether doses of selenium are nutritionally and carcinostatically equivalent, should gradually be empirically solved by such studies. In the same way the dilemma of relative hyposelenosis could also be solved.…”

Selenium requirements in patients with inborn errors of amino acid metabolism and selenium deficiency

“…The data on daily Se-intake in adults in different countries vary between 6 and 70 pg in New Zealand [13,22], 60 gg in England [21], 100 t-tg in Japan [14], 60-150~tg in the U.S.A. [16], 113-2201,tg in Canada [18] and 234 gg in Scotland [2]. We still do not know which level is optimal.…”

Selenium content of human milk, cow's milk and cow's milk infant formulas

“…A two months-old German infant on cow's milk infant formula alone receives about 7.8 gg Se/day in his food, while a breast-fed infant receives about 22.4 lag Se/day. For comparison, the average selenium intake of an adult with mixed food amounts to 65 lag in New Zealand [13] or to 163 lag Se/day in Canada [12], i.e., 14.02x 10-9g Se/Kjoule (Canada). Mature milk from German women contains an average 9.76 x 10-9g Se/Kjoule.…”