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Q: Selenium
Some studies show that Selenium is important for people living with HIV/AIDS. Is this true? What natural sources and/or foods have the highest selenium content?
A: Ken Stringer (Website Administrator) responds:
Jennifer wrote about selenium a number of times as an important antioxidant, especially for Positive People. So let me jump in here to suggest that you check out Jennifer's article, Alphabet Soup. It was a 1996 article on supplements in general, with a section on the then relatively new information on selenium and HIV. Dead Doctors Don't Lie is another article which, though it repeats much of the same info on selenium, is worth a look for other mineral-related issues.
Chester Myers, PhD, MS responds:
Yes, low selenium has been associated with faster HIV disease progression than has been observed for deficiency than any other vitamin or mineral examined so far in association/epidemiological type studies. I suspect we might see similarly bad results for low magnesium, as it has been shown to be more commonly deficient in HIV disease than most other micronutrients (vitamins & minerals). The best source of selenium is Brazil nuts, but there's so much in these that eating too many could cause an overdose. My recommendation is to rely on a 200 microgram supplement in addition to a good multivitamin with minerals. If a person wants to depend on Brazil nuts for selenium intake, then I think about 4-5 Brazil nuts a day would be enough. I prefer mixed nuts that include Brazil nuts - these provide a generally good munchy snack with good quality fat, antioxidants, and a good source of calories. But make sure there's no allergy to nuts present.
