More on selenium

[Sarah Ralston <ralston@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU>]

Bonnie wrote:
>Are you still feeding your horse oil? I used to have a big TB 
>that tied up a couple of times. He was getting corn oil daily. 
>One vet did mention to me that it is suspected that an oily diet
>can restrict Vit E absorption which than affects Selenium utilization.
>I don't know if this has been proven but if it were my horse 
>I'd take her completely off alfalfa and oil. Return her
>to a very plain and basic diet while continueing the E/Se 
>supplementation. Just an idea.
>
Good advice, Bonnie. But your vet had his/her nutrition wrong 
(not unusual-few vet schools even teach nutrition! Even fewer 
even mention equine nutrition).Vitamin E is a fat soluble 
vitamin-it's actual absorption from the gut is enhanced, not 
decreased, by adding oil (within reason) to the diet.
The problem comes with the enhanced aerobic utilization of fat generates
more free radicals which can contribute to muscle damage if not scavenged
by antioxidants (Vitamin E, A and SOD-an enzyme containing Selenium). 
I have seen no studies suggesting that high fat diets affect selenium
absorption. Nor does vitamin E absorption affect selenium. The 
two substances operate similarly though at different metabolic sites, 
therefore seem to be irretrievably linked in the public mind, when, 
in fact they aren't!
(PS: Thanks again for your incredible help at the OD last year!)

Sarah and Fling (Mom, that lady took better care of me than you do!)