Selenium pioneer since 1984
Selenium is an essential trace element, which cannot be built by the body's own metabolism. Therefore - like vitamins - it has to be supplied from outside. Selenium is a trace element since it is needed by the body only in very low doses, in microgram (µg).
In 1957, the physicians Schwartz and Foltz could provide evidence of the essentiality of the substance (protection from liver necrosis in rats as test animals). Before, selenium had been considered as toxic.
With Cefasel®, Cefak – as first pharmaceutical manufacturer – introduced selenium already in 1984 in Germany in the pharmaceutical therapy.
Today, the essential trace element is in the focus of science and becomes increasingly important in biochemistry, nutritional science and medicine. In the meantime, extensive medicinal and biological meanings are attributed to selenium, for example for the function of the immune system and the thyroid, for the protection of cells from oxidative stress, for the maintenance of hair and nails and the spermatogenesis. It can be assumed that the knowledge about the relevance of a good selenium supply for our health will further increase within the next years and the clinical benefit of specific selenium application in various risk- and patient groups in clinical studies will be further proven.
A specific supplementation is always sensible if too little selenium is absorbed with nutrition or the selenium intake is not sufficient due to an increased demand. For the daily selenium supply, Cefasel nutri® products – the number 1 of selenium products in pharmacies* (Germany) - are suitable.
Milestones of the selenium research
| 1818 | Berzelius (Sweden) discovers and names selenium |
|---|---|
| 1935 | Selenium intoxication in cattle by fields on very selenium-rich soils in the USA |
| 1957 | Essential trace element: Proof that by addition of selenium liver necrosis of the rat can be prevented |
| 1969 | Inverse correlation between cancer mortality and selenium contents in forage crops |
| 1970 | Experimental proof that selenium is essential for numerous animal species |
| 1973 | Selenium as component of the glutathione peroxidase of different animal species |
| 1996 | Chemopreventive properties of selenium in large human study confirmed (Clark et al., 1996) |
| until 2002 |
Selenoproteins with known enzyme function: Glutathione peroxidase (GPX) Thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD) Deiodinase (DIO) |
| 2003 |
Selenogenome: Human: 25 genes Rodent: 24 genes Drosophila: 4 genes C. elegans: 1 gene |
| 2005 |
Selenoproteome: to date more than 25 selenoproteins known |
| 2012 |
Selenium function scientifically substantiated regarding cell protection, immune system, thyroid, spermatogenesis, hair and nails: Approval of 6 Health Claims for selenium by the European Commission. |