Selenium biofortified wheat

Selenium is essential for the function of important selenoproteins which include glutathione peroxidases, thioredoxin reductases and deiodinases and selenoprotein P. Selenium deficiency in foods is not uncommon and is largely due to geological variations in selenium abundance in soil. Selenium deficiency can cause infertility, increased oxidative stress, immune and thyroid dysfunction, cardiomyopathy, cognitive impairment and increased risk for specific cancers such as prostate cancer. The selenium content of wheat can be increased by agronomic biofortification which involves fertilising the growing crop with an appropriate inorganic form of the micronutrient, which the plant converts to several organic Se forms, notably selenomethionine, which are more suitable for human consumption. A recent intervention study has shown that moderate consumption of selenium-biofortified wheat can substantially increase blood plasma selenium concentration in healthy older men.Michael Fenech, Jing Wu, Robin Graham, and Graham Lyon