Our selenium deficiency

Some 45% of adults have an inadequate selenium intake, a national survey has shown.

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16th June, 2012

Question: You have written previously that broccoli contains certain minerals, such as selenium. As New Zealand soil is defi cient in this mineral, can broccoli take up much if there are only traces in the soil? What other plants take up selenium? I eat a good balanced diet, but am I wasting my money taking a 100mcg selenium tablet each day? Answer: Selenium intake varies tremendously around the world, from regions in China where severe deficiencies cause Keshan disease, through to places where selenium levels are so high that toxic ...

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