Too much selenium linked to high levels of cholesterol

High dietary intake of selenium may increase risk of high cholesterol, a new study by Dr. Dsverio Stranges at the University's Warwick Medical School suggests.

The study recently published in the Journal of Nutrition found that in people who had higher levels of serum selenium, the total cholesterol level increased by 8 percent compared to those who had lower levels.

Selenium is a trace essential mineral and consumers use it as a dietary antioxidant supplement. Selenium is high in Brazil nuts produced from selenium-rich soil, shrimp, carb meat, salon, halibut, brown rice, and whole wheat bread.

Dr. Stranges and colleagues examined data from 1042 participants aged 19 to 64 in the 2000-2001 UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey. The subjects were interviewed for their eating and drinking habits. Blood samples were taken for analysis.

Higher selenium levels were not just linked with higher total cholesterol.

The researchers also found that higher levels of selenium in the blood also raise non-high density lipoprotein by 10 percent. Lipoprotein can help predict the risk of a heart attack or chest pain.

Additionally, they found that of those with the highest selenium levels, 48.2 percent reported that they regularly took dietary supplements.

It is uncertain whether higher levels of serum selenium are the cause for the increase in total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol.  The dyufy merely found the association between high selenium levels and higher levels of cholesterol.

By David Liu and editing by Sheilah Downey