What are the benefits of selenium for horses?

How many ppm of selenium does a horse need?

By Dave C.

I received the following email from Mr. Dan L. On Wednesday, January 15, 2025 (about one day before publication):

Dave-. As you may know by now, we are not releasing the information for public consumption as the U.S. EPA claims that it's still being reviewed. However we can safely say that the horse's daily requirement for selenium is around 3 ppm in order to achieve a balanced diet. I hope this information will help to ease the panic of the horse industry regarding this release.

Thanks. Mr. Is the Director of Research and Development for HorseProbe. I did not contact him before publishing this article; I could be wrong, but it seems unlikely that he knew about this before I contacted him. Nonetheless, Mr. Has no training in veterinary nutrition nor biochemistry so his statements appear to be "sound bites" made by a person with very little experience in equine nutrition or chemistry. They are obviously intended to be misleading and/or wrongheaded, but Mr. Is a reputable individual whom I believe I should credit for this communication. What am I supposed to think when I read: "The horse's daily requirement for selenium is around 3 ppm in order to achieve a balanced diet?" Not that it actually is the horse's daily requirement, but there's a strong possibility that it is. My sources have told me that this might be true.

I'm confused. How could Mr. Have access to such vital information? Well, here is what I think happens. First, Mr. Contacts someone at the U. EPA who knows about the proposed regulation and has been informed that the agency is asking for public comment. That person gives Mr. A couple of things to work with. First, they give him the daily nutrient requirement and selenium intake requirements that the USDA proposes to apply to horse foods. The USDA proposal will become effective in July 2025, after all public comment has closed. It was sent to me three weeks ago and I've reviewed the material only briefly, but I'll publish it soon. The USDA report will explain how a horse can be fed an average horse feed for one year and still meet daily nutrient and selenium requirements. This will show, I believe, that the USDA considers these requirements to be quite reasonable.

When Mr.

Can you give a horse too much selenium?

By: Kate Mcconnaughray Like all minerals, selenium can have health benefits if it's received in small amounts each day (like the daily recommended intake), but it may have the potential to cause harm when taken in excess. Selenium's use in agriculture is a common misconception, even among those familiar with trace minerals. But when used correctly, selenium has been shown to help prevent many types of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It may even be able to promote more youthful skin. Selenium deficiency is particularly common in developing countries, where many people rely on animal products. A lack of this mineral can cause the body to produce more thyroid hormone than it needs, which leads to an overproduction of selenium. However, some people still suffer from selenium deficiencies because of food choices - the soil quality where they live, poor diets or a lack of exposure to sunlight. A lack of folic acid can also make a person selenium-deficient, because vitamin B9 uses selenium as a co-factor in the production of blood cells.

Selenium has many health benefits. How is it linked to health conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer? The primary chemical form of selenium in the human body is known as selenomethionine (SeMet). This naturally occurring compound is responsible for the production of many of the body's important enzymes. It is found in all parts of the body, and the liver is a main site of production of selenium-dependent enzymes, including those that detoxify chemicals called lipid peroxides. Selenium helps the body's immune system by providing one of the proteins involved in fighting off viruses. It also prevents DNA damage caused by exposure to UV light, and it is a key part of making the enzyme that removes harmful toxins, including the carcinogenic arsenic and thiophosphate. According to University of Washington researchers, selenium may be linked to improving skin thickness. Selenium deficiencies are most common in developing countries, mainly in areas where grain production relies heavily on animals.