Daily dietary intake of selenium in eastern Croatia

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Abstract

Data on the selenium content in the soil and human milk in eastern Croatia indicate a possibility of inadequate Se status of people in the area. In order to determine the daily dietary intake of Se in eastern Croatia, a 7-day duplicate diet study was performed. There were 41 participants (18–53 years old; 14 males and 27 females). Selenium measurement was carried out in a HG-AAS. The average daily Se intake in the area is 27.3 μg. A significant difference (P<0.05) exists between male (32.2 μg) and female (24.8 μg) participants. Percentage of optimum Se intake shows an inverse association with the increasing age of subjects (r=−0.43; P<0.01). Relationship between Se intake and intakes of different foods (cereal products, milk and dairy products, meat, fish etc.) was also examined. The sub-optimal Se intake (RDA is 55 μg/day for women and 70 μg/day for men) is a reflection of low Se levels in the environment, so supplementation of fertilizers with Se should be considered.

Introduction

In the 1950s, selenium was recognized as an essential element for animals (Schwarz and Foltz, 1957), final proof to its essentiality for humans was the discovery of its preventive potency against Keshan disease (Keshan Disease Research Group, 1979a, Keshan Disease Research Group, 1979b). Further research has revealed selenium's function in the antioxidant mechanisms of the body through Se-dependent GPX (Sunde and Hoekstra, 1980), as well as in the metabolism of thyroid hormones (Arthur and Beckett, 1993) and maintenance of male fertility through appropriate selenoproteins (Brown and Burk, 1973). Selenium also protects against toxicity of certain heavy metals (IPCS, 1987). Many mechanisms of this element's positive role in the function of the immune system (Larsen, 1993), as well as the role in the etiology of cancer (Combs and Clark, 1985) and CVD (Oster and Prellwitz, 1990) have been proposed so far, with no definitive, generally accepted explanations for its function at the moment. Optimum daily dietary intake was determined as 40 μg/day per 60 kg of body mass (Yang et al., 1987). The 1989 RDA for Se was established on the basis of this and is 55 μg/day for women and 70 μg/day for men (Committee on Dietary Allowances, 1989). The Scientific Committee for Food of the European Union set the PRI (Population Reference Intake) for Se at 55 μg/day for both sexes (Commission of the European Communities, 1992). Low selenium content found in agricultural soils and occurrence of deficiency disorders in animals in eastern Croatia pointed to a possibility of deficient intakes by humans as well (Gavrilović and Matešić, 1987). Determined levels of Se in human milk correspond to suboptimal intakes by mothers in the area (Mandić et al., 1995). Suboptimal selenium status has also been found in neighboring countries (Maksimović, 1991, Gondi et al., 1992). All this, together with the current awareness of selenium's metabolic roles, urged us to determine the daily dietary intake of Se in eastern Croatia.

Section snippets

Subjects

The daily dietary intake was determined using a duplicate diet study with 41 adult participants (18–53 years old; 27 women and 14 men) over a 7-day period (February 1996). The subjects were also asked to keep record of all food and drink and their quantities using the forms we provided.

Samples

The collected duplicates of all food (only edible parts) and drink consumed in a day were weighed and stored at −20°C. The frozen 1-day samples from a subject, collected over 1 week, were then combined and

Results and discussion

Table 1 gives mean daily dietary intakes, as well as mean percentages of optimum intakes for men and women, respectively. Overall means for daily intake and percentage of optimum intake are also given. The mean daily dietary intake of 27.3 μg (which is 61.5% of the mean optimum daily intake for the investigated sample of population, according to the RDA) is similar to those found in New Zealand (Stewart et al., 1978, Robinson, 1988), Finland (Varo et al., 1994), some parts of Italy (

Conclusions

Daily dietary intake of Se in eastern Croatia is inadequate. The mean intake of 27.3 μg/day is 61.5% of the recommended optimal values.

A significant difference in intake was found between male and female subjects and an inverse relationship between age and Se intake.

The daily intake of Se is best correlated with the intake of fish, cereals, eggs and meat. Milk and dairy products as well as vegetables contributed little, while the contribution of fruits and water and beverages was dispensable in

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