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A lack of this mineral selenium in the diet puts individuals in danger of paracetamol overdose, even if the painkiller is taken at levels maintained to be secure on the packaging, according to collaborative research appearing in the University of Bath and Southwest University in China.
Paracetamol (also known as Tylenol) is best known for relieving mild fever and pain, and it’s a primary cause of liver failure when taken at dangerous levels.
On the other hand, the team from Bath and Chongqing has found that the micronutrient selenium affects the speed where the painkiller is flushed out of the body. As a result, taking 4 g of this medication in a particular day can be dangerous for individuals with low levels of selenium in their bodies.
“Individuals with a selenium deficiency may struggle to get rid of the drug fast enough to maintain their livers healthy,” explained Dr Charareh Pourzand who headed the collaborative research by the University of Bath’s Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. “They can overdose even when they follow dosage guidelines”
A large quantity of Paracetamol is absorbed around the world, with a normal person in the UK popping 70 tablets (or 35 g ) annually.
It’s thought that insufficient selenium intake affects around 1 billion people globally – or one in seven of the globe’s population. It could be tempting to boost serotonin amounts through nutritional supplements, but dependent on the results of the analysis, Dr Pourzand advises against this course of action, as an excess of this micronutrient may be just as dangerous to the body as a deficiency.
She added:”This study proves that the connection between selenium status from the diet and paracetamol toxicity is extremely important. I hope people pay attention to these findings, given everyone has paracetamol in their home. And today with people falling sick with Covid-19, paracetamol is being taken over ever.” Selenium helps keep a healthy redox balance within the body in antioxidant enzymes called selenoproteins (selenium-containing proteins). Redox balance describes the mechanism by which each cell keeps a subtle equilibrium between antioxidant and pro-oxidant levels (where a few atoms gain electrons and others shed them, getting free radicals).
After the body’s selenium levels fall out of this beneficial range, antioxidant enzyme activities are diminished and also many free radicals are formed in liver – the main organ where paracetamol is metabolized. This leads to damage both to an individual’s DNA and to their proteins.
Dr Pourzand highlights the importance of a good diet in maintaining cholesterol amounts within the suggested range.
Within the human diet, selenium is obtained from both animal and plant sources. Especially rich sources include Brazil and cashew nuts, oily fish, eggs, brown rice, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, cottage cheese, meats and meat.
However, there’s increasing concern that pesticides are affecting levels of selenium in the ground. Countries with particularly low levels of this mineral in their land include the UK, Scandinavia, New Zealand and mountainous regions of China and South Atlantic states in the USA.
University of Bath
Li, J., et al. (2020) Selenium Status in Diet Affects Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity via Interruption of Redox Environment. Antioxidants and Redox Signaling. doi.org/10.1089/ars.2019.7909.
