New Zealanders', is your dietary selenium adequate, or do you take selenium supplements?

Question

This question is posed, in the context of New Zealand's low soil selenium.

Answer 1

A good question.  No, I don't take any Se supplements, but you're correct that NZ soils are deficient in selenium.  Remember it's a trace element required in very small amounts and it's toxic in large doses, and you'd only be likely to lack it if you lived entirely off the land.  One of the few good things about globalisation is that if some of your food comes from the supermarket you're unlikely to suffer deficiency diseases or cadmium or mercury poisoning, like those villagers in Japan.

Answer 2

i've never heard of people taking selenium supplements here.... interestn question though.

Answer 3

Although the levels are low, they are adequate.

Taking extra selenium produces a copper deficiency.

Answer 4

Mmmm - for all my interest in health I didn't realize that.

I know you can have too much selenium and you don't actually need very much - also a lot of  vegetables are imported - but not our lamb and beef of course. Must check it out.