Tuna. High Selenium content - UK-Muscle Body Building Community

Ironball · 23-09-2004, 01:43 PM

Has anybody heard about selenium amount in tuna? It is about 80mcg per 100g. The recommended daily allowance is about 75mcg. I have cut down on my tuna because I am having far too much selenium. I worked it out and have been having around 500mcg a day for 2-3 years with most coming from tuna. The maximum upper intake level is 400mcg a day. Any higher can lead to toxicity!

The side effects include nausea, blochty brittle nails, dermatitis, hairloss and mild nerve damage.

I have had hairloss for about 5 years since I was around 15-16. Male baldness but could be worse because of this selenium. I also have had nausea for ages. Also had dermatitis on my fingers for about 18 months which wont clear up and if it does if I use cream it has come back. I have also been suffering from a stabbing pain in my right leg for about six months. Could all be coincidence but I have cut down anyway, even though it has effected my protein intake.

Has anybody else heard about this or had similar symptoms ?

Tuna also has very high levels of mercury but I am unsure about that side effects.

I am just waiting to start glowing in the dark?:(

Killerkeane · 23-09-2004, 06:02 PM

i think it is like anything mate, if you eat anything in excess, then you are always going to have to much of something than your body can handle. I personally think that could be true what you said, but i dont think 2 cans a day would cause those kinda symptoms?

zoidberg · 23-09-2004, 06:21 PM

Hi Ironball,

Just found this on the web: http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/964647329.html

Is there a risk of taking too much selenium?
There is a moderate to high health risk of too much selenium. High blood levels of selenium can result in a condition called selenosis. Symptoms include gastrointestinal upsets, hair loss, white blotchy nails, and mild nerve damage. The rare cases of selenium toxicity in the US have been associated with industrial accidents and a manufacturing error that led to an excessively high dose of selenium in a supplement. The Institute of Medicine has set a tolerable upper intake level for selenium at 400 micrograms per day for adults to prevent the risk of developing selenosis.

If 400mcg is the tolerable upper intake level then you need to eat half a kilo of tuna to be at risk.

Personally I'd be more worried about the mercury in it which is far more hazardous to your health. See http://www.mercurypolicy.org/

Mercury enters the food chain when coal burned in power stations releases mercury fumes into the atmosphere which dissolve in the oceans and are absorbed by fish :(

-zoidberg-

Ironball · 24-09-2004, 06:04 PM

Yo zoidberg I have been eating half a kilo of it!

Plus other things that contain selenium like rice, wholemeal bread ,chicken. Basically every thing I eat has some of that damn stuff in it.

Thanks for the links aswell. I gotta take a good look at that mercury one.

23-09-2004, 01:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
Ironball Looking Freaky Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 778	Tuna. High Selenium content Has anybody heard about selenium amount in tuna? It is about 80mcg per 100g. The recommended daily allowance is about 75mcg. I have cut down on my tuna because I am having far too much selenium. I worked it out and have been having around 500mcg a day for 2-3 years with most coming from tuna. The maximum upper intake level is 400mcg a day. Any higher can lead to toxicity! The side effects include nausea, blochty brittle nails, dermatitis, hairloss and mild nerve damage. I have had hairloss for about 5 years since I was around 15-16. Male baldness but could be worse because of this selenium. I also have had nausea for ages. Also had dermatitis on my fingers for about 18 months which wont clear up and if it does if I use cream it has come back. I have also been suffering from a stabbing pain in my right leg for about six months. Could all be coincidence but I have cut down anyway, even though it has effected my protein intake. Has anybody else heard about this or had similar symptoms ? Tuna also has very high levels of mercury but I am unsure about that side effects. I am just waiting to start glowing in the dark?:(

23-09-2004, 06:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
Killerkeane The Geezer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Somerset although im not proud lol. Posts: 2,977	i think it is like anything mate, if you eat anything in excess, then you are always going to have to much of something than your body can handle. I personally think that could be true what you said, but i dont think 2 cans a day would cause those kinda symptoms? __________________ Fortes Fortuna Paratus Mens-Fortune favours the prepared mind.:amen:

23-09-2004, 06:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
zoidberg Newbie Trainer Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Herts, UK Posts: 38	Hi Ironball, Just found this on the web: http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/964647329.html Is there a risk of taking too much selenium? There is a moderate to high health risk of too much selenium. High blood levels of selenium can result in a condition called selenosis. Symptoms include gastrointestinal upsets, hair loss, white blotchy nails, and mild nerve damage. The rare cases of selenium toxicity in the US have been associated with industrial accidents and a manufacturing error that led to an excessively high dose of selenium in a supplement. The Institute of Medicine has set a tolerable upper intake level for selenium at 400 micrograms per day for adults to prevent the risk of developing selenosis. If 400mcg is the tolerable upper intake level then you need to eat half a kilo of tuna to be at risk. Personally I'd be more worried about the mercury in it which is far more hazardous to your health. See http://www.mercurypolicy.org/ Mercury enters the food chain when coal burned in power stations releases mercury fumes into the atmosphere which dissolve in the oceans and are absorbed by fish :( -zoidberg- __________________ I hear, I forget. I see, I remember. I do, I understand.

24-09-2004, 06:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ironball Looking Freaky Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 778	Yo zoidberg I have been eating half a kilo of it! Plus other things that contain selenium like rice, wholemeal bread ,chicken. Basically every thing I eat has some of that damn stuff in it. Thanks for the links aswell. I gotta take a good look at that mercury one.