Micronutrients & recovery
Current cigarette smoking is independently associated with significantly lower toenail selenium levels in a dose-dependent manner, even after adjusting for dietary intake and other lifestyle factors.
If you smoke, your body likely has lower selenium levels than a non-smoker, even if you eat the same amount of selenium-rich foods. This is because smoking increases oxidative stress, which uses up your selenium stores faster. To maintain healthy selenium levels, you may need to be mindful of your selenium intake, potentially prioritizing selenium-rich foods like beef, bread, or Brazil nuts, or discussing supplementation with a healthcare provider, especially if you smoke heavily.
Compared with never smokers, current smokers had significantly lower selenium levels, with an additional dose-response relationship for the number of cigarettes smoked: selenium levels were 5% lower in those smoking 1-14 cigarettes per day, 9% lower in those smoking 15-34 cigarettes per day, and 10% lower in those smoking 35 or more cigarettes per day.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohorts (HPFS and NHS) with objective biomarker measurement (toenail NAA) and multivariable adjustment.
Source
Demographic and lifestyle factors and selenium levels in men and women in the U.S.
Kyong Park et al. · Nutrition Research and Practice · 2011
DOI 10.4162/nrp.2011.5.4.357
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