Loading ...Adv Nutr. 2015 Jan; 6(1): 73–82.
Published online 2015 Jan 7.doi: 10.3945/an.114.007575
PMCID: PMC4288282
PMID: 25593145
Dietary Selenium in Adjuvant Therapy of Viral and Bacterial Infections1,2
This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.
Introduction
In addition, EURRECA identified the following 5 relevant health outcomes for adequate and/or supranutritional intake of the essential trace element and micronutrient SELENIUM, mainly with respect to human subpopulations or patient groups: 1) cognition (for elderly individuals aged >50 y), 2) viral load and onset of AIDS (for patients infected with HIV), 3) immune functions, 4) fertility (for men), and 5) cancer (particularly for persons at risk of prostate cancer) (2).
The present review focuses on the use of selenium to strengthen the immune response against viral and bacterial pathogens and to counteract oxidative cellular damage associated with infection and inflammation on the basis of the above-mentioned priority health topics—AIDS and immunity—as identified by the EURRECA team (2). The outcomes of intervention trials with selenium compounds given alone or, more often, in combination with other micronutrients are listed in Table 1, and are discussed against the mechanistic background of selenium and selenoproteins acting on proliferation, differentiation, and function of immune cells.
The debate on the influence of nutrition on public health led to a consensus definition of “sustainable diets” as “diets with low environmental impacts that contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy lives for present and future generations” (1).
However, it was stated that the present industrial agriculture and food-processing procedures promote consumption of low-nutrient and energy-rich foods, with negative impacts on a sufficient and balanced supply of the macro- and micronutrients required for human health (1).
It has been estimated that 2 billion people worldwide are currently suffering from micronutrient deficiencies (1).
The European Micronutrient Recommendations Aligned Network of Excellence (EURRECA)6 has prioritized 5 micronutrients for human nutrition: folic acid, vitamin B-12, iodine, iron, and zinc (2).
The impact of selenium on health and disease, dietary selenium requirements for support of cognitive and immune functions and prevention of cancer, as well as underlying molecular mechanisms were discussed recently (4–9). In addition to selenium, several trace elements (e.g., copper, iron, zinc) and vitamins (e.g., vitamins A, C, and E) may modulate the susceptibility of hosts to pathogens and the immune defense against microbes (10). In this regard, we recently discussed the use of selenium, zinc, vitamins C and E, and natural products with antioxidant activity to support the treatment of infections with the intestinal protozoan parasite Eimeria (11).