ABSTRACT
Selenium is an essential trace element, chemically resembling sulfur, with metal and nonmetal characteristics (1). Toxicologically, high levels of selenium in the mammalian organism cause GI damage and loss of hair and nails, and become carcinogenic, embryotoxic, and teratogenic (2-5). On the other hand, selenium deficiency in the mammalian organism as a result of low levels present in the environment is associated with various diseases in animals and an increased risk of cancer in humans (6). An epidemiological study involving 27 countries indicated significant inverse correlations between relatively low-level Se dietary intake and the increased incidence of leukemia and other forms of cancer, notably of the stomach, pancreas, intestine, breast, prostate, skin, and lung (7-9). Selenium deficiency may also be associated with other deleterious effects, such as hemolytic anemia (10).
