So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Friday, February 6, 2009

How Fertile Is The Soil? (Selenium)

By P.G Mayora

Although we are told that selenium is contain within certain foods that does not necessarily mean that the content is the same wherever that ingredient comes from.

Trace amounts of selenium are essential for the production of various cellular components, primarily enzymes. Selenium deficiency is a known trigger for several different autoimmune diseases including thyroid disorders and psoriasis. Selenium deficiency also causes susceptibility to heart disease and to viral infections.

In the body selenium combines with protein molecules to form selenoproteins. Selenoproteins are important antioxidant enzymes that are essential for proper immune system function. Seleniums role in thyroid healthis also well known. In addition, selenoproteins help prevent cellular damage caused by free radical molecules. Free radicals are produced as natural by-products of oxygen metabolism that are suspected of contributing to many chronic inflammatory diseases.

In most countries worldwide, plants are the primary source of selenium. Other sources include some high selenium yeasts, cereals, eggs, meats, particularly beef, chicken and turkey, and some fish, particularly tuna and cod. Brazil nuts also contain high concentrations of selenium and a diet rich in brazil nuts can cause high levels of selenium in certain regions, causing a condition of selenium toxicity . However, the amount of selenium available in the soil varies and this affects the amount of selenium found in local produce. High levels of selenium are found in the high plains of northern Nebraska and the Dakotas whereas the soil in some parts of China and Russia has scant amounts of selenium. In areas where the diet primarily consists of locally grown food, selenium levels in the body correlate well to soil levels. The daily value recommended for selenium by the FDA is 70 mcg. When supplements are used, 100-200 mcg daily of selenomethionine is recommended. . However, studies also show a lower rate of cancer, heart disease and autoimmune thyroid disease in patients with higher selenium levels. Surveys also show that patients with rheumatoid arthritis with lower selenium levels have more swelling, pain, stiffness and loss of function in their joints.

(7) Selenium deficiency is thought to contribute to autoimmune disease by making the body more susceptible to nutritional and biochemical stresses as well as infectious diseases. Three diseases caused directly by selenium deficiency include Keshan Disease, which causes an enlarged heart, Kashin-Beck Disease, which causes osteoarthropathy, and Myxedematous Endemic Cretinism, a form of hypothyroidism which results in mental retardation. Selenium toxicity, which occurs when doses higher than 400 mcg daily are ingested over time causes a condition of selenosis. Symptoms include garlic breath odor, hair loss, white blotchy nails, irritability, fatigue, gastrointestinal upset, and mild nerve damage.

So, when buying foods that you think are high in selenium, just look on the packaging and see where it came from, because it may not have as much as you think!

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