Selenium supplements inhibit LDL oxidation

[Guest guest]

14 volunteers who took 110 micrograms of selenium per day did not

experience increases in LDL oxidation, compared to a 2% increase prior

to supplementation. There was no placebo group included in the study.

Significant I think, as LDL oxidation is part of the process of

atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Dave

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link:

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=80031-selenium-atherosclerosi\

s-wheat

full text:

Selenium may protect against artery furring

By ls

9/25/2007- Selenium supplements may reduce the risk of heart disease

by inhibiting the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, suggests a small

study from Italy.

Writing in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular

Diseases the Italian researchers report that 14 healthy subjects

taking a daily selenium supplement did not experience significant

increases in oxidatively modified LDL, compared to a two per cent

increase observed prior to supplementation.

Such results could favourably reduce the risk of heart disease as

oxidative modification of LDL has been reported to be a major part of

the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and subsequently cardiovascular

disease.

" According to the most widely accepted theory of atherogenesis,

oxidatively modified LDL activates a series of cellular events in the

arterial wall ultimately leading to plaque formation, " explained lead

researcher Fausta Natella from the Free Radical Research Group at the

National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition.

" The principal result of our study is that a 10-day supplementation

with selenium is able to prevent the postprandial increase in both LDL

minus and susceptibility to oxidative modification of LDL in a group

of subjects adequately supplied with selenium, without modifying

plasma selenium concentration, " said Natella.

Natella and collaborators from the University of Udine and the

University of Padova assigned the 14 volunteers (age range 25-40,

eight men) and assigned them to receive 110 micrograms of selenium per

day as selenium yeast (Body Spring Bio Seleno). Blood samples were

taken before and after eating an experimental meal both at the start

of the intervention, and after ten days of supplementation.

The European recommended daily intake (RDI) is 65 micrograms.

The researchers report that, compared to pre-supplementation, ten days

of selenium supplementation was associated with inhibition of

after-meal increases in oxidatively modified LDL (no significant

increase).

Moreover, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a reactive carbonyl

compound and a major end product of lipid oxidation, also did not

increase significantly post-prandially after selenium supplementation,

while prior to supplementation MDA plasma levels increased by about 10

per cent.

" Our results, obtained on subjects adequately supplied with selenium,

suggest that a non-limiting selenium availability counteracts the

postprandial formation of the atherogenic form of LDL and provide a

rationale for the epidemiological evidence of the inverse correlation

between selenium intake and the incidence of chronic and degenerative

diseases, " said Natella.

The study does have an obvious limitation in that no placebo group was

used for comparison, and further studies are required to confirm the

benefits of improved selenium status for a reduced risk of

cardiovascular disease.

European selenium levels have been falling since the EU imposed levies

on wheat imports from the US, where soil selenium levels are high. As

a result, average intake of selenium in the UK has fallen from 60 to

34 micrograms per day, leading to calls from some to enrich soil and

fertilizers with selenium to boost public consumption.

Source: Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases

Published on-line ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2006.05.002

" Selenium supplementation prevents the increase in atherogenic

electronegative LDL (LDL minus) in the postprandial phase "

Authors: F. Natella, M. Fidale, F. Tubaro, F. Ursini and C. Scaccini