Selenium (and sodium and calcium)

[Lyndzie]

Hi all,

I started using Cronometer a few days ago just to see how my current diet adds up, macro nutrient ratios, etc. It's been really interesting! I was eating more fat than I realized, and surpassed all the protein targets without effort.

One thing I'm consistently coming up short on is selenium, getting about half of my daily requirement. It looks like a single Brazil nut contains 165% of the daily amount of selenium that I need, which is easy enough to eat one every couple days, but how important is that? Is selenium one of those things that are just lower on a plant-based diet, and it's ok?

Also, without added salt, my sodium levels are LOW. Like, 165 mg for the day. It's also easy to salt my food, but is it ok to be so low for a prolonged period of time?

And while I'm asking questions, my calcium is low, too, varying between 260-460 mg. Is this ok, especially when coupled with the low sodium intake?

Otherwise, everything else is rock star status. It's kinda easy to get hung up on the few things that could use some tweaking. We need to remember that we are still eating better than probably anyone else we know - I know I do!

[Spiral]

Several years ago I had a concern that I wasn't getting enough calcium in my WFPB diet. So, for my morning oatmeal, I switched from oats and mixed berries to oats and collard greens. I know it sounds awful. But hear me out.

I purchase 365 brand frozen, chopped collard greens from Whole Foods. In the morning I pour a cup of the frozen collards in a large bowl and microwave it for 2 minutes. Then I add one cup of dry old fashioned oats. I add one tablespoon of ground flax seed (for omega 3s) and some Mrs Dash table blend spices. Then I add 2 cups of boiling water to this and let it sit for 8 minutes.

Then I add some Pomi tomato sauce (no salt added), stir it up and microwave for another minute and eat.

I know it's crazy. But I feel like this is the only way for me to guarantee that I will eat dark green leafy vegetables nearly every day. If I don't get it done in the morning, I'm afraid it won't get done at all. And collards are pretty high in calcium, as well as being generally healthy.

My wife got P.O.ed with me trying to sneak collard greens into our spaghetti sauce. So, to keep peace in the household, I eat collard greens and oats most mornings.

I don't know about the selenium. I once bought a bad of unsalted brazil nuts thinking that I would eat one per week. But I never followed through on the plan. As for sodium, I doubt you will run into any problems at all consuming a very low sodium diet. Just my opinion, which I admit isn't worth a whole lot.

[JeffN]

I addressed actual calcium needs in the prior thread.

On Selenium

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=6500&p=67775#p67775

I would recommend against Brazil nuts as their level of selenium can vary greatly and small amounts can have very high (potentially unsafe) levels.

"Analysis was performed on 72 individual nuts obtained in stores as shelled nuts in bulk and shelled and unshelled nuts in packages. Their average selenium content was 14.66 ppm with a range of 0.2 to 253.0.(5)"

Carol L. Secor, Donald J. Lisk. Variation In The selenium Content of Individual brazil Nuts. Journal of Food Safety Volume 9, Issue 4, pages 279–281, January 1989

In Health
Jeff

[Lyndzie]

Spiral - Thanks for the tip on the collards & oats breakfast, but for the time being I think I'll stick with blueberries.

Jeff - Thanks for the info on selenium. I'll skip the Brazil nuts for now. Judging on the info you posted on calcium in the other thread, I'm probably not getting enough. I'll just make more of an effort to eat my greens.

[JeffN]

Jeff - Thanks for the info on selenium. I'll skip the Brazil nuts for now. Judging on the info you posted on calcium in the other thread, I'm probably not getting enough. I'll just make more of an effort to eat my greens.

Just to add to my other thread and put the calcium issue in better perspective

Here is how calcium in food is often presented as calcium per serving

Foods - Amt Calcium
1 Cup Skim Milk - 300 mg
1 Cup Kale - 180 mg (frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)
1 Cup Bok Choy - 158 mg. (cooked, boiled, drained)
1 Cup Broccoli - 95 mg (frozen, spears, cooked, boiled, drained)
1 Cup Leaf Lettuce - 13 mg (raw)

Looking at this, it seems like it would be near impossible to meet calcium needs from greens and that dairy is a rich source.

However, let's put in perspective of calcium per calorie or calcium density, which is a better way to look at food since we consume a certain amount of calories per day, not servings.

Food - Amt Calcium - Calories
1 Cup Skim Milk - 300 mgs - 90 cal
1 Cup Kale - 180 mgs - 40 cal
1 Cup Bok Choy - 158 mgs - 20 cal
1 Cup Broccoli - 95 mgs - 50 cal
1 Cup Leaf Lettuce - 13 mgs - 5

Now, let's even them out per 100 calories, not per serving and we see calcium density per 100 calories

Food - Amt Calcium - Calories
Skim Milk - 330 mgs - 100
Kale - 450 mgs - 100
Bok Choy - 900 mgs - 100
Broccoli - 200 mgs - 100
Leaf Lettuce - 260 mgs - 100

Now, lets look at the absorption rate of calcium for these foods...

Food Source - Abs Rate
Milk - 32%
Broccoli - 53%
Kale - 59%
Chinese Cabbage - 54%
Green Cabbage - 65%
Brussels Sprouts - 64%
Mustard Greens - 58%
Turnip Greens - 52%

Now, lets apply the absorption rate to the amount of calcium per 100 calories

Food - Calcium/100 cal - x Absorption Rate (from Am J Clin Nutr. 1994)

Skim Milk - 330 mg - 99
Kale - 450 mgs - 250
Bok Choy - 900 mg - 450
Broccoli - 200 mgs - 100
Leaf Lettuce - 260 mgs - 130

As you can see, doing this really puts it in a better perspective in regard as to what is a better source and we can see the impact of a few servings of greens.

In Health
Jeff

PS - I took the above straight from the slides of a presentation I used to give about 15 - 20 years ago and the numbers were taken from the USDA Nutrition Databased at the time. I will double check them later with the current USDA Database and update any number if necessary, but regardless, I think the point is clear

PPS - Adjusted. Only the leaf lettuce changed.

[Lyndzie]

Thanks Jeff! I really appreciate you taking the time to explain this in detail. Nutrition science is so fascinating. I would not have thought about absorption rates. I love bok choy, so now I have even more reason to eat it.

Question: does it matter whether the kale/Brussels sprouts/broccoli are cooked or raw?

[JeffN]

Thanks Jeff! I really appreciate you taking the time to explain this in detail. Nutrition science is so fascinating. I would not have thought about absorption rates. I love bok choy, so now I have even more reason to eat it.

Question: does it matter whether the kale/Brussels sprouts/broccoli are cooked or raw?

In general, you absorb more from cooked.

Also, most all greens, especially leafy greens, except spinach, are rich sources of calcium. I used the above examples because we have official numbers for them (absorption rate). So, pick your favorite and enjoy.

In Health
Jeff

[JeffN]

I would recommend against Brazil nuts as their level of selenium can vary greatly and small amounts can have very high (potentially unsafe) levels.

J Altern Complement Med. 2018 Jan;24(1):3-6. doi: 10.1089/acm.2017.0159. Epub
2017 Aug 14.
Commentary: Health Concerns of Brazil Nut Consumption.
Mazokopakis EE(1), Liontiris MI(1).

Brazil nuts are the fruit of the enormous tropical tree Bertholletia excelsa that are produced in and exported from the territory of the Amazon. As a natural rich source of selenium (Se), the consumption of Brazil nuts is often suggested as therapeutic among patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases. In this review, the current knowledge regarding the main health concerns of Brazil nut consumption, such as Se toxicity, Se-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus, weight gain, radioactivity, aflatoxins, and allergic reactions, is presented and discussed.

DOI: 10.1089/acm.2017.0159
PMID: 28805450 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

“Brazil nut consumption could pose some risk if the daily Se intake from this source is much higher than the recommended amount. According to research, intake of *330mg of Se per day could be toxic not only for growth hormones and insulin-like growth factor 1 metabolism but also in the synthesis of thyroid hormones.18,19 Possible major side-effects include nail and hair loss, anorexia, diarrhea, depression, hemorrhage, liver and kidney necrosis, blindness, ataxia, and respiratory disturbances.18 There have also been instances of dermatitis and central nervous system disorders in an area with high Se content in Enshi, China.24 These signs and symptoms of Se toxicity are known as selenosis. An Se intake of 50–400mg/d is considered a safe range for adults, while 850–900mg could be allowed as minimum for Se toxicity.10 Evidently, the high Se content variation in Brazil nuts that depends on the soil of the nut tree origins increases the likelihood of Se toxicity, regardless of the quantity of nuts consumed.”