STUDIES OF SELENIUM SUPPLEMENTATION WITH INORGANIC AND COMBINED INORGANIC-ORGANIC SE IN HUMANS

One hundred mug selenium as sodium selenite alone or 50 mug selenium as selenite and 50 mug selenium as L-selenomethionine along with vitamin E, vitamins B2, B-6 and B-12 were given to two groups of 7 persons/group of healthy volunteers for 4 months. The combination of sodium selenite and L-selenomethionine along with vitamins, Metselen gave significant higher concentration of plasma Se than sodium selenite alone. The concentration of erythrocyte Se was also significantly higher by supplementation with Metselen than that of sodium selenite alone. The group given Metselen showed significantly higher activity of E-GSH-Px than the group given sodium selenite. One month after stopping the supplementation urinary selenium (24h) of Metselen and sodium selenite returned to original values. The combination of sodium selenite, L-selenomethionine along with vitamins was more effective than sodium selenite alone.