Selenium 'could delay arthritis'

Lack of the super-mineral selenium may cause arthritic knees, say US scientists.

A research team from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project found a lack of selenium - which is commonly found in foods like tuna, Brazil nuts and eggs - could explain why some people develop arthritis in their knees.

Even the tiniest amounts selenium could protect against arthritic knees, it was found in a study of 940 volunteers.

For every tenth of a part per million of selenium present in the body, individuals were found to have a 15 to 20 per cent reduction in risk from arthritis.

In addition, the research team compared the severity of knee arthritis in each volunteer with amount of selenium in their body, finding that those with the highest levels of selenium in their bodies had up to 40 per cent more protection against osteoarthritis developing in their knees.

Lead researcher Dr Joanne Jordan, from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, said: "Our results suggest that we might be able to prevent or delay osteoarthritis of the knees and possibly other joints in some people if they are not getting enough selenium.

"That's important because the condition, which makes walking painful, is the leading cause of activity limitation among adults in developed countries."

Dr Jordan was first alerted to the possibility that selenium deficiency may lead to osteoarthritis when she found people in China who ate selenium-deficient diets commonly developed osteoarthritis.

Previous studies have suggested selenium can help prevent death from lung and prostate cancer.

Those with low selenium levels have also been shown to be at a higher risk of developing asthma.