Selenium in Food and Health

Over the past 50 years more than 100,000 scientific papers, not to mention popular articles and books, have been written about Selenium. These publications continue to appear without showing any sign of diminution today. This mass of writing makes it very difficult for anyone, who is not a dedicated and specialized scientist, to get a clear picture of what is now known about the element and its role in human health.

The second edition of Selenium in Food and Health takes into account the considerable amount of fresh information that has been published over the past decade, by investigators from a wide range of specialties, not all of which, at first glance, might appear to have much to do with human health. It presents information in an easy-to-follow manner for the general reader who wants to make an informed judgment about the competing claims for and against Selenium’s value as a nutritional supplement, and for professionals who want to keep abreast of the latest findings about its potential role in the management of human health.

The biology of selenium.- Selenium metabolism.- Selenium in health and disease I: The agricultural connection.- Selenium in health and disease II: Endemic selenium-related conditions in humans.- Selenium in health and disease III: Nonendemic selenium-responsive conditions, cancer, and coronary vascular disease.- Selenium in health and disease IV: The immune response and other selenium-related conditions.- Selenium in health and disease V: Selenium deficiency in search of a disease?.- Selenium in foods.- Selenium in diets.