ABSTRACT
Selenium functions in certain enzymes, but the way selenium is incorporated into these enzymes is quite different from the processes for other minerals. Selenium has drawn interest for its roles in antioxidant defense and thyroid hormone production, as well as for possible applications in cancer prevention. The latter may be independent of selenium’s enzyme functions and may require intake well beyond the levels needed to prevent deÞciency. This last area will be a prominent research interest for selenium for quite some time. Some other applications of selenium supplements also have some data to support usefulness. In contrast, for still other claims, despite some Internet sites making very deÞnitive claims, the current evidence is not very deÞnitive.
