Selenium is always a good lesson in why improving livestock nutrition benefits human health. This study, reported at the recent IFAMA symposium in Frankfurt, notes an important opportunity for increasing human Se status in Se-deficient regions of the world.

An experiment by Brazilian researchers (University of Sao Paulo) looked at what happened when cows were fed various Se/Vitamin E supplements. Then they examined blood Se and VE in school children given milk from each group of cows.

Two of the cow dietary treatments included just 2.5 mg Se/day as Sel-Plex, yet both the cows and the kids consuming their milk had higher blood Se after 28 days.

Title and authors
Effect of sunflower oil with organic selenium and vitamin E inclusion in lactation cow's rations upon milk composition and its effect on cow and human nutrition. MA Zanetti, AS Netto, MSV Salles, R Zorzetto. FZEA/University of Sao Paulo Pirassununga/SP Brazil. International Food and Agricultural Management Association. Frankfurt, Germany, June 20-23, 2011