Low serum Selenium was found to be a possible factor for persistent goiter in school children. This study was conducted in the Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran. About 1200 school children from the ages of 8 to 13 were involved in this cross sectional study. The results of the study indicated that low serum levels of selenium may be linked to higher prevalence of goiter (40% of the children with low selenium had a goiter.) Thats why it is always important to look for selenium as a component of different vitamins complexes. The average urinary iodine excretion indicated an adequate level of iodine intake. An average Selenium concentration was 108 mug/liter in boys and 128 mug/liter in girls. In participants with lower Selenium concentration an elevated level of T4 concentration was observed. In addition, very impressive negative association was observed between serum level of Selenium and the presence of goiter. Therefore, the authors of this study concluded that supplementation with Selenium may be an advisable way to optimize thyroid hormone metabolism and decrease the probability of developing a goiter in school children with low serum level of Selenium. The next time you go to buy vitamins you are sure to follow the advice given by the professionals.

Low level of Selenium in the plasma may increase the risk of poor muscle strength in the aging adults. The cross sectional population based study which involved close to 900 men and women over 65 years of age with low plasma Selenium concentration was conducted by a clinical research branch of University Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Muscle strength in the hip, grip and knee extension area was measured. Overall an average plasma Selenium was 0.95 mumol/liter. Participants with lowest concentration of plasma Selenium were independently associated with 69% elevated risk of poor hip strength and nearly two times the increased risk of low knee strength and grip strength compared with participants with the highest concentration of plasma Selenium. Therefore, the authors of this study have concluded that low concentration of Selenium in plasma is independently associated with poor skeletal muscle strength in the older adults.

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