Selenium is a component of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and each mole of GSH-Px contains 4 grams of atomic selenium. The function of this enzyme is to catalyze the redox reaction between reduced glutathione and peroxide.
Therefore, it can play an antioxidant role and is an important free radical scavenger (50-500 times that of vitamin E). In vivo, GSH-Px and vitamin E have different antioxidant mechanisms, and they can complement each other and produce synergy.
It is precisely because of the high antioxidant effect of selenium that proper supplementation can prevent organ aging and pathological changes, delay aging, enhance immunity, resist diseases, resist toxic heavy metals, reduce the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and prevent cancer.
(2) Enhance immunity:
Organic selenium can scavenge free radicals, eliminate toxins, resist oxidation, effectively inhibit the production of lipid peroxide, prevent thrombosis, remove cholesterol and enhance human immune function.
(3) Prevention of diabetes:
Selenium is the active component of glutathione peroxidase, which can prevent the oxidative damage of islet β cells, make them function normally, promote glucose metabolism, reduce blood sugar and urine sugar, and improve the symptoms of diabetic patients.
(4) prevention of cataract:
Due to exposure to computer radiation, the retina is easily damaged. Selenium can protect retina, enhance the smoothness of vitreous body, improve vision and prevent cataract.
(5) Prevention of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases:
Selenium is an important element to maintain the normal function of the heart, which can protect and repair the heart. The decrease of human blood selenium level will lead to the decrease of free radical scavenging function, the increase of harmful substance deposition, the increase of blood pressure and the thickening of blood vessel wall.
Vascular elasticity decreases, blood flow slows down, and oxygen delivery function decreases, which leads to an increase in the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, scientific selenium supplementation has a good effect on preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension and arteriosclerosis.
(6) Prevention of Keshan disease, Kaschin-Beck disease and arthritis:
Selenium deficiency is the main cause of Keshan disease, Kaschin-Beck disease and two endemic diseases. Selenium supplementation can prevent bone marrow lesions, promote repair, and promote disulfide bond resistance to metal detoxification in protein synthesis. It has good preventive and therapeutic effects on patients with these two endemic diseases and arthritis.
(7) detoxification:
Selenium has a strong binding force with metals and can resist the toxicity of cadmium to kidney, gonad and central nervous system. Selenium combines with mercury, lead, tin, thallium and other heavy metals in the body to form a metal selenium protein complex, which plays the role of detoxification.
(8) Prevention and treatment of liver diseases and protection of liver:
Chinese medical expert Yu Shuyu found that the blood selenium content of residents in high-incidence areas of liver cancer was lower than that in low-incidence areas of liver cancer, and the incidence of liver cancer was negatively correlated with the blood selenium level. In Qidong County, Jiangsu Province, she supplied selenium to 6.5438+0.3 million residents, which proved that selenium supplementation could reduce the incidence of liver cancer by 35% and that of people with family history of liver cancer by 50%.
The range between beneficial amount and toxic amount of selenium is the narrowest among all trace elements, so selenium supplementation needs the most technical content, and it will be excessive if you are not careful. Under normal circumstances, the recommended daily intake of selenium is 50~200 micrograms.
Extended data:
The body itself cannot synthesize selenium, and food is the main source of selenium. A healthy person who is not partial to food or picky eaters can meet the body's demand for selenium through a balanced diet without additional supplements.
All kinds of selenium-enriched foods sold in the market, such as selenium-enriched rice and selenium-enriched vegetables, can be eaten occasionally, and there is no need to buy them often. If you must eat selenium-enriched food, you'd better choose the one marked with selenium concentration, and then buy it after calculating your body requirements.
In natural foods, the selenium content from high to low is: animal viscera, seafood, fish, eggs, meat, grains, milk, onions, garlic, vegetables and fruits. Sesame and garlic also contain a lot of selenium. The selenium content of the same crop varies greatly in different regions, with a difference of thousands or even tens of thousands of times.
Baidu encyclopedia-selenium-enriched food
People's Network-Don't blindly supplement selenium. A balanced diet is the most important.