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European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2016) 70, 405408 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 0954-3007/16
http://www.nature.com/ejcn
Web End =www.nature.com/ejcn
X Liu, J Piao, M Li, Y Zhang, C Yun, C Yang and X Yang
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: To assess the selenium nutritional status of 3458 school-age children recruited from rural areas using the China Nutrition and Health Survey 2002 and 2012 (CNHS 2002 and CNHS 2012).
SUBJECTS/METHODS: The serum selenium concentration was determined by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The prevalence of dietary selenium intake insufciency was calculated according to the formula suggested by and the estimated average requirements of the new Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes. The percentage of low selenium was based on the cutoff values with a serum selenium concentration below the threshold limit of clinical importance in coronary and cardiovascular diseases (o45 g/l) and in abnormal physiological functions (o60 g/l).
RESULTS: The overall median serum selenium concentration was 64.3 g/l in the CNHS 2002 and 74.2 g/l in the CNHS 2012. The median calculated dietary selenium intake was 26.7 g/day in the CNHS 2002 and 33.2 g/day in the CNHS 2012 together with a61.1% and 52.8% dietary selenium intake insufciency in the CNHS 2002 and in the CNHS 2012. In addition, the percentages of low selenium (o45 g/l and o60 g/l) were 25.1 and 43.8% in the CNHS 2002 but 9.4 and 25.6% in the CHNS 2012.
CONCLUSIONS: The selenium nutritional status of school-age children was signicantly improved in the CNHS 2012 versus the CNHS 2002. However, the health risk for selenium malnutrition in school-age children remains a potential problem affecting
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2016) 70, 405408; doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2015.194
Web End =10.1038/ejcn.2015.194 ; published online 25 November 2015
INTRODUCTION
Selenium, an essential nutrient of fundamental importance to human health, is involved in several metabolic processes. As the key component of some enzymes, selenium is incorporated into a variety of selenoproteins involving a wide range of pleiotropic effects in redox homeostasis, thyroid metabolism, immune function and reproduction.1 Although selenium is a matter of bilateral interest, in that its optimal intake would benet health, whereas its excessive or inadequate intake could be unbenecial for the human health.2 The safe range of dietary selenium intake is reportedly relatively narrow. A growing body of epidemiologic...