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Bioavailability of selenium from bovine milk as assessed in subjects with ileostomy

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 58, pages 350–355 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To assess the absorption of dietary selenium in humans, especially of milk selenium.

Design: 1-day meal studies in subjects with ileostomy.

Setting: Hospital outpatient clinics.

Subjects: Three subjects in the pilot study and nine subjects in the main study (eight men/ four women).

Interventions: Different beverages, 1 l/day, were given in addition to basal diets (soft drink, 1 week; low-fat milk, 3 weeks; fermented low-fat milk, 3 weeks and soft drink, 1 week). Ileostomy effluents were collected during the last 2 days in each of the four periods.

Results: On days when the subjects were given 1 l of low-fat milk, the estimated fractional absorption of total dietary selenium was 65.5 (2.3)% (mean (s.d.), n=18), which was similar to the value when fermented low-fat milk was given (64.1 (3.2)%). However, both the calculated amount of milk selenium absorbed (10.9 (2.4) vs 9.4 (1.7) μg selenium) and its fractional absorption (73.3 (16.1) vs 64.1 (11.2)%, n=18) were significantly higher for milk than for fermented milk.

Conclusions: Selenium from milk and other sources is well absorbed in subjects with ileostomy. The real absorption may be even higher than the values shown.

Sponsorship: The Swedish Dairy Association, the Swedish Farmers' Foundation for Agricultural Research, the Crafoord Foundation and Lund University Hospital.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the study subjects for their willingness to participate. The study was supported by grants from the Swedish Dairy Association, the Swedish Farmers' Foundation for Agricultural Research, the Crafoord Foundation and Lund University Hospital.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical Nutrition, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    J Chen, H Lindmark-Månsson, M Drevelius & B Åkesson

  2. Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    E Hertervig & Å Nilsson

  3. Swedish Dairy Association, Scheelevägen 18, Lund, Sweden

    H Lindmark-Månsson

  4. Department of Nutritional Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    P Tidehag & G Hallmans

Authors
  1. J Chen
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  2. H Lindmark-Månsson
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  4. P Tidehag
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  5. G Hallmans
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  6. E Hertervig
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Contributions

Guarantor: B. Åkesson.

Contributors: JC, HLM, PT, GH, EH, ÅN and BÅ planned the study; PT, GH, EH and ÅN recruited the subjects and supervised their medical condition; JC and MD made the chemical analyses, and JC wrote the major part of the manuscript and all others contributed in this process.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to B Åkesson.

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Chen, J., Lindmark-Månsson, H., Drevelius, M. et al. Bioavailability of selenium from bovine milk as assessed in subjects with ileostomy. Eur J Clin Nutr 58, 350–355 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601789

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601789

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