Young children with excess of weight show an impaired selenium status.
People who are overweight/obese commonly experience poorer antioxidant protection. The aim of the present study was to determine whether overweight/obesity is associated with children's selenium status. The study subjects were 573 Madrid schoolchildren aged 8 - 13 years. Their selenium intake was monitored via a three-day food record. Serum selenium concentration and blood glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity of each subject was also determined, as was body mass index (BMI). Children with excess of weight (BMI>P85) had lower serum selenium concentrations than those of normal weight (64.6 ± 16.8 µg/L compared to 75.3 ± 12.2 µg/L; p < 0.001). Their selenium intake was also lower (1.99 ± 0.62 µg/kg compared to 2.73 ± 0.88 µg/kg; p < 0.001). A positive correlation was found between serum selenium and selenium intake (the best being obtained when intake was measured in µg/kg/day, r = 0.338, p < 0.05), while a negative relationship was seen between serum selenium and all the anthropometric variables recorded (the strongest correlation was seen between serum selenium and BMI, r = -0.390, p < 0.05). Logistic regression showed the risk of selenium deficiency (<70 µg/L) to increase with BMI [OR = 1.5031 (1.3828 - 1.6338)] and to decrease with selenium intake [OR = 0.9862 (0.9775 - 0.9949)] and age [OR = 0.6813 (0.5434 - 0.8542)] (p < 0.001). A correlation was also detected between serum selenium and GPx activity (r = 0.177; p < 0.05) but there were no significant relationships between GPx activity and any anthropometric variables, excluding the correlation with waist/hip ratio (r = -0.298; p < 0.01). Children with excess of weight have a poorer selenium status than children of normal weight, which can contribute to poor antioxidant protection. This situation could be more evident in children with central adiposity.
Departamento de Nutrición, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. rortega@farm.ucm.es
Rosa M
RM
Ortega
Elena
E
Rodríguez-Rodríguez
Aránzazu
A
Aparicio
Ana Isabel
AI
Jiménez-Ortega
Carolina
C
Palmeros
José Miguel
JM
Perea
Beatriz
B
Navia
Ana María
AM
López-Sobaler
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain
D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D012643:Selenium