Accumulation and retention in brain of supplemental selenium is determined by dietary composition

Authors

Robert Fender, Brigham Young University
Merrill Christensen, Brigham Young University

Keywords

accumulation and retention in brain, supplemental selenium, dietary composition

College

Life Sciences

Department

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science

Abstract

It is estimated that over 6 million Americans suffer from the neurodegenerative diseases of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s combined, with 1 in 4 Americans suffering from some type of mental illness (1). Oxidative damage and inflammation, which is a recognized hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases, can be prevented by antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase whose key component is selenium and which relies on a selenium delivering protein called selenoprotein P (2). Since neurodegeneration that affects so many people can potentially be avoided by understanding how selenium is accumulated in and delivered to body tissue, understanding how and where selenium is accumulated in body tissue is of great importance.

Recommended Citation

Fender, Robert and Christensen, Merrill (2018) "Accumulation and retention in brain of supplemental selenium is determined by dietary composition," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2018: Iss. 1, Article 162.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2018/iss1/162