Sodium selenite is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2SeO3. This salt is a colourless solid. The pentahydrate Na2SeO3(H2O)5 is the most common water-soluble selenium compound
Contents
Uses
Together with the related barium and zinc selenites, sodium selenite is mainly used in the manufacture of colorless glass. The pink color imparted by these selenites cancels out the green color imparted by iron impurities.
Because selenium is an essential element, sodium selenite is an ingredient in some food supplements.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved a selenium supplement to animal diets, however the most common form is sodium selenite for pet foods. According to one article, “not much was known about which selenium compounds to approve for use in animal feeds when the decisions were made back in the 1970s .. At the time the regulatory action was taken, only the inorganic selenium salts (sodium selenite and sodium selenate) were available at a cost permitting their use in animal feed
Benefits
- Most of the selenium in the body comes from the diet. The amount of selenium in food depends on where it is grown or raised. Crab, liver, fish, poultry, and wheat are generally good selenium sources. The amount of selenium in soils varies a lot around the world, which means that the foods grown in these soils also have differing selenium levels. In the U.S., the Eastern Coastal Plain and the Pacific Northwest have the lowest selenium levels. People in these regions naturally take in about 60 to 90 mcg of selenium per day from their diet. Although this amount of selenium is adequate, it is below the average daily intake in the U.S., which is 125 mcg.
- Selenium is used for diseases of the heart and blood vessels, including stroke and “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis). It is also used for preventing various cancers including cancer of the prostate, stomach, lung, and skin.
- Some people use selenium for under-active thyroid, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis(RA), an eye disease called macular degeneration, hay fever, infertility, cataracts, gray hair, abnormal pap smears, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), mood disorders, arsenic poisoning, and preventing miscarriage.
- Selenium is also used for preventing serious complications and death from critical illnesses such as head injury and burns. It is also used for preventing bird flu, treating HIV/AIDS, and reducing side effects from cancerchemotherapy
Cautions
- Selenium is toxic in high concentrations. The chronic toxic dose for human beings is about 2.4 to 3 milligrams of selenium per day
Interactions
- We currently have no information for chlorophyllin Interactions
Other names
Atomic number 34, Dioxyde de sélénium, Ebselen, L-Selenomethionine, L-Sélénométhionine, Levure sélénisée, Numéro atomique 34, Se, Selenio, Selenite, Sélénite de sodium, Sélénium, Selenium Ascorbate, Selenium Dioxide, Selenized Yeast, Selenomethionine, Sélénométhionine, Sodium Selenite
References
Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_selenite