Researchers from China discovered this week that the Selenium inside the human body could suppress the effects of COVID-19. The study revealed that the said element's level was a huge contributing factor for the disease immunity.
The Presence of Selenium in the Body
In a South China Morning Post report, infection rates in some China provinces like Hubei were higher than what experts expected. They also said that they have been speculating how and why the coronavirus spread in some places is lower.
The answer could be found in the soil, like in the case of Enshi.
The study entitled "Selenium (Se) plays a key role in the biological effects of some viruses: implications for COVID-19," was published last Mar. 7, click here.
The Chinese city has been known to be a place of Selenium deposits. It is a non-metal trace element that can be found next to Arsenic. Researchers discovered that a high concentration of the element was observed around Enshi. That also explained why some citizens said that they are losing their fingernails and hair because overexposure to the elements often leads to those symptoms.
Taking Seleniums in high dietary levels showed improved immunity of humans against COVID-19, according to the State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment professor Ma Jin.
The researchers said that when the levels of Selenium displayed a significant drop, the COVID-19 infection rates went higher. For the Chinese team, the data across Hubei, Xiaogan, and Suizhou was necessary to assess if the said places have selenium deposits.
The three cities were found out to have the lowest recorded levels of Selenium.
Following the pattern, their positive rates also increased since the outbreak happened in the COVID-19 provincial hotspot, Wuhan.
The experts said that Selenium was important for the immune system response of a person to the virus through the finding. Further inflammation in the body could take place, and through cutting the production of dangerous reactive oxygen, this will be prevented.
A Similar Study on Selenium
Another study spearheaded by nutritional medicine professor Margaret Rayman concluded that the selenium content in the hair was positively correlated to the COVID-19 cure rate.
The Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany arrived in the finding that high-risk deaths are related to lower levels of Selenium. Chinese province Heilongjiang, which was discovered to have the lowest level of the element, saw a 2.6% death rate, the highest among all cities in China.
Meanwhile, Selenium is not only limited to COVID-19 prevention because it can also be used for the treatment of Ebola, HIV, and influenza. Moreover, the researchers reminded us that its mechanism was still unknown at the moment. Besides the above-mentioned diseases, it can also be used for cancer, heart disease, and even aging.
The possible next study could be between a participant assigned to take Selenium supplements and those who do not take them. Even though it was seen to be beneficial in lowering infection rates, excessive intake of Selenium can lead to brain damage and other severe health problems.
"Taking selenium supplements to prevent Covid-19 is not recommended without doctors' supervision," Li Jianke, professor of Nutritional Science, said in a statement.
To access the second-related study entitled "Link identified between dietary selenium and outcome of COVID-19 disease," click here.
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Written by Joen Coronel
