Summary
This review synthesises evidence on selenium status across Southern African soils, plants, livestock and human populations, identifying widespread deficiency in the region. The authors document alarming low levels of selenium in environmental and biological matrices, linking this to immune function impairment—particularly for HIV-endemic populations—and highlight the gap between current selenium intake and recommended dietary allowances for both livestock (0.3 mg Se/kg feed) and humans.
UK applicability
The UK has adequate soil selenium and dietary selenium intake is generally sufficient, so findings are not directly applicable to UK agriculture or public health. However, the review's methodological approach to assessing selenium status across soil–plant–animal–human systems may inform similar biofortification or deficiency assessments in other regions.
Key measures
Plasma selenium concentration (μmol/L); proportion of population with deficient concentrations; soil selenium levels; feed material selenium content; dietary selenium intake relative to RDA (55 mcg/day for adults)
Outcomes reported
The study reviewed selenium concentrations in soils, plants, livestock feed materials and human populations across Southern Africa, documenting widespread deficiency. In Zambia, 83% of adults exhibited plasma selenium concentrations below the deficiency threshold of 0.63 μmol/L, with a median of 0.27 μmol/L.
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