A new study conducted in a joint effort by American and Italian researchers has found that low plasma (blood) selenium levels equates to low muscle strength among senior citizens.1
In this study, the researchers evaluated plasma selenium levels along with grip, hip flexion and knee extension strength in 891 adult men and women aged 65 and older. The participants were selected from the Invecchiare in Chianti Study, a population-based cohort study in Tuscany, Italy. For the purposes of the study, "poor muscle strength" was defined as the lowest quartile of all three measures. The researchers then adjusted for age, sex, education, total energy intake, body mass index (BMI) and chronic disease. They found that participants in the lowest quartile of plasma selenium levels were significantly more likely to suffer from muscular weakness, as compared to those in the highest quartile. Those in the lowest group were more likely to suffer statistically significant poor strength in all three categories tested: grip, hip flexion and knee extension. Researchers concluded that low selenium levels were independently associated with poor muscle strength among community dwelling seniors.
Previous research has found that oral supplementation of selenium methionine may increase plasma selenium levels. Click here to learn more about selenium.
1. Lauretani, F., R. D. Semba, et al. (2007). "Association of low plasma selenium concentrations with poor muscle strength in older community-dwelling adults: the InCHIANTI Study." Am J Clin Nutr 86(2): 347-52.
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