Host nutritional selenium status as a driving force for influenza virus mutations (PDF file)
Heather K. Nelson, Qing Shi, Peter Van Dael, Eduardo J. Schiffrin, Stephanie Blum, Denis Barclay, Orville A. Levander, and Melinda A. Beck, Departments of Nutrition and Pediatrics, University of NC at Chapel Hill; Nestlé Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland; and USDA, ARS, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, MD Corresponding author: Melinda A. Beck, Ph.D., Department of Pediatrics, 535 Burnett-Womack, CB #7220, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Se-adequate mice infected with virus recovered from Se-deficient mice develop severe lung pathology Previous work in our laboratory (5) demonstrated that Se-deficient mice developed much more severe pathology postinfluenza virus infection than did Se-adequate mice.
According to the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service:
“New clinical reports from Zambia, Uganda and South Africa indicate that AIDS may be stopped by nutritional supplementation. A number of members of the medical profession have observed that high doses of the trace element selenium, and of the amino acids cysteine, tryptophan, and glutamine can together rapidly reverse the symptoms of AIDS, as predicted by Dr. Harold D. Foster’s nutritional hypothesis.” Burbano X, Miguez-Burbano MJ, McCollister K, Zhang G, Rodriguez A, Ruiz P, Lecusay R, Shor-Posner G. Impact of a selenium chemoprevention clinical trial on hospital admissions of HIV-infected participants. HIV Clin Trials. 2002 Nov-Dec;3(6):483-91. Baum MK, Shor-Posner G, Lai S, Zhang G, Lai H, Fletcher MA, Sauberlich H, Page JB. High risk of HIV-related mortality is associated with selenium deficiency. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1997 Aug 15;15(5):370-4.El-Bayoumy K. The protective role of selenium on genetic damage and on cancer. Mutat Res. 2001 Apr 18;475(1-2):123-39. Combs GF Jr. Status of selenium in prostate cancer prevention. Br J Cancer. 2004 Jul 19;91(2):195-9.Patrick L. Toxic metals and antioxidants: Part II. The role of antioxidants in arsenic and cadmium toxicity. Altern Med Rev. 2003 May;8(2):106-28. Whanger PD. Selenium in the treatment of heavy metal poisoning and chemical carcinogenesis.
J Trace Elem Electrolytes Health Dis. 1992 Dec;6(4):209-21.