Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Selenium deficiency is a contributing factor in the development of Keshan disease, an endemic cardiomyopathy, likely through mechanisms involving the antioxidant function of selenoproteins.
In regions with very low soil selenium, ensuring adequate selenium intake is critical to prevent Keshan disease, a form of heart disease. For most people in non-endemic areas, meeting the standard AI (70 µg/day) prevents this risk.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Selenium deficiency is also involved in the degeneration of organs and tissues leading to the manifestation of Keshan and Kashin-Beck diseases... Mechanisms related to the antioxidant role of selenoproteins have been suggested to be involved in the contribution of selenium deficiency to the development of the cardiomyopathy of Keshan disease.
Why this rating
Based on observational data and animal models; dual aetiology (virus + deficiency) complicates direct causality.
Source
Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for selenium
EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products et al. · EFSA Journal · 2014
DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2014.3846
clinical_guidelineCited 340×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- An Adequate Intake (AI) of 70 µg/day of selenium is sufficient to saturate the functional selenium body pool and support all tissue functions in adults, as indicated by the levelling off of plasma selenoprotein P (SEPP1) concentrations.Good
- Lactating women require an increased Adequate Intake (AI) of 85 µg/day of selenium to account for selenium secreted in breast milk.Good
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