“…When this is not available, health can be affected, leading, in extreme cases to serious illnesses such as Keshan disease, an endemic cardiomyopathy encountered in parts of China (Institute of Medicine, 2000). Less overt Se deficiency may increase susceptibility to cardiovascular disease (Oster et al, 1986;Salonen & Huttunen, 1986;Kok et al, 1989), certain types of cancer (Willet et al, 1983;Kok et al, 1987), and possibly other disorders such as oxidative stress or inflammatory conditions, diabetes mellitus, hepatopathies, HIV infection, etc (for reviews, see Holben & Smith, 1999;Navarro-Alarcó n & Ló pez-MartÃnez, 2000;Rayman, 2000). In the context of these health effects, low or diminishing Se status in some parts of the world, notably in some European countries, is giving cause for concern.…”