Selenium's role in weight control.Enriching diets with selenium selenium (səlē`nēəm), nonmetallic chemical element; symbol Se; at. no. 34; at. wt. 78.96; m.p. 217°C;; b.p. about 685°C;; sp. gr. 4.81 at 20°C;; valence −2, +4, or +6. , an antioxidant antioxidant, substance that prevents or slows the breakdown of another substance by oxygen. Synthetic and natural antioxidants are used to slow the deterioration of gasoline and rubber, and such antioxidants as vitamin C (ascorbic acid), butylated hydroxytoluene mineral, may boost weight gain, according to a small study by Wayne C. Hawkes and Nancy L. Keim of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in San Francisco. For 4 months, they fed 11 healthy men, age 20 to 45, diets based on ingredients that differed only in selenium content. The diet was tailored to maintain their original weights. The five volunteers assigned to diets providing five times the recommended daily allowance (RDA RDA abbr. recommended daily allowance Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are quantities of nutrients in the diet that are required to maintain good health in people. ) of selenium gained about 1.5 pounds during the study. Consuming only about one-fifth of the RDA for selenium, the six other men each lost about 1 pound. Unexpected changes in the body's production of a thyroid hormone Thyroid hormone Any of the chemical messengers produced by the thyroid gland, including thyrocalcitonin, a polypeptide, and thyroxine and triiodothyronine, which are iodinated thyronines. See Hormone, Thyrocalcitonin, Thyroid gland, Thyroxine known as T3 appear to have altered each group's rate of calorie burning, the researchers conclude. |
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