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Game birds revealed as excellent source of selenium
There's no doubt certain foods seem to affect our moods, such as chocolate lifting the spirits and chilli creating a sense of euphoria and while these are no longer dismissed solely as old wives' tales, hard evidence documenting the effects of these ‘feel-good’ foods has been notoriously difficult to come by. But one nutrient bucks the trend. Selenium, as essential trace element found in high quantities in nuts, shellfish, offal and as we've now discovered also in game birds, has hard scientific back-up for its beneficial effects on mood. In addition to it's feel-good factor, selenium plays an important role in boosting the immune system, in thyroid hormone metabolism and in reproduction and is also part of the body's antioxidant defense system, preventing damage to cells and tissues. Scientific interest in selenium has increased in recent years due to growing awareness of its importance on health. The bad news is that research shows selenium intakes in the UK have fallen over the last 15 years. Current intakes are around 39 μg /day, against the recommended intake of 60 μg/day for women and 75 μg/day for men (1). which is proving rather worrying to health professionals. Apart from evidence that marginal selenium status may contribute to reduced immune function and some cancers (2), a number of studies have also shown an association with a significantly greater incidence of depression and other negative mood states. A UK study by Benton and Cook (3) showed a supplement of 100 μg /day of selenium significantly improved mood and decreased anxiety and depression and the lower the initial level of selenium in the diet, the more improved were feelings of anxiety, depression, and tiredness following 5 weeks of selenium therapy. This study strongly suggests that increasing the amount of selenium will positively influence your mood and alleviate feelings of depression. But how to boost your intake? Good dietary sources of selenium are shellfish, nuts and offal and now new research has discovered game birds to be a significant and easy source. Laboratory analysis results carried by the independent food research organisation Leatherhead Food International has revealed that partridge contained 0.43 mg selenium per kg and pheasant 0.37 mg/kg. This was compared with just 0.08 mg for lamb, 0.04 for beef and 0.1 for chicken*, clearly showing that an average portion of game bird meat is an excellent way to boost selenium consumption compared with other commonly consumed meats. Dr Kelly Johnston, nutritionist said: “There is growing concern amongst health professionals in the UK that selenium intakes are not adequate and this really needs to be addressed before the signs of deficiency become more prevalent in the population. These test results show that, game bird meat provides high amounts of selenium per serving and include meats like partridge and pheasant as part of a healthy diet may result in an improvement in subjective ratings of mood.” *in uncooked meat Ends- For further information call Jane Saward/Hilary Leathes at Field McNally Leathes on 01273 834716 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Jane Saward |
