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Review
. 2022 Oct 5;27(19):6613.
doi: 10.3390/molecules27196613.

Selenium: An Antioxidant with a Critical Role in Anti-Aging

Geir Bjørklund  1 , Mariia Shanaida  2 , Roman Lysiuk  3   4 , Halyna Antonyak  5 , Ivan Klishch  2 , Volodymyr Shanaida  6 , Massimiliano Peana  7
Affiliations
Review

Selenium: An Antioxidant with a Critical Role in Anti-Aging

Geir Bjørklund et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Aging is characterized by an imbalance between damage inflicted by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antioxidative defenses of the organism. As a significant nutritional factor, the trace element selenium (Se) may remodel gradual and spontaneous physiological changes caused by oxidative stress, potentially leading to disease prevention and healthy aging. Se is involved in improving antioxidant defense, immune functions, and metabolic homeostasis. An inadequate Se status may reduce human life expectancy by accelerating the aging process or increasing vulnerability to various disorders, including immunity dysfunction, and cancer risk. This review highlights the available studies on the effective role of Se in aging mechanisms and shows the potential clinical implications related to its consumption. The main sources of organic Se and the advantages of its nanoformulations were also discussed.

Keywords: antioxidant effect; chemoprevention; health benefit; human aging; immunoprotection; selenium.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The main outcomes of Se deficiency and excess.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The key sources of Selenium from food.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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