The highest concentration of selenium is found in the semen and ovum of animals. Each sperm contains selenium and each time hundreds of millions of sperms are discharged. In the period of peak sexual activity, in the age between 20 to 40 for humans, and in the peak egg production period for birds, the need for selenium is the highest, leading to serious shortage of selenium in the body. This is determined in genetic breeding instructions. As the main task of genes is to reproduce, the genes keep most selenium in the spermaduct or Fallopian tube to be used for reproduction. Likewise, birds also store selenium in their eggs according to genetic instruction to meet the requirements of reproduction. This is why the concentration of selenium is highest in eggs.
The reproduction of viruses also needs selenium (and much more is needed because of the large number of viruses). The selenium needed by a single virus is very little, and if enough selenium is available in the organism of animals, the virus that enters the body will die because of overdose (toxicosis) of nutrition (selenium), in other words, it will poison itself. This is a typical instance of “combating poison with poison”, and also a modus of defense typefied by the phrase “with true Qi preserved, no disease will happen”.
On the contrary, when selenium is lacking in the body, it is easiest for viruses to invade, because they can get adequate dosage of selenium. In addition, mutation of viruses always happens in a selenium deficient environment, one that is most suitable to the reproduction of viruses.
Experiment shows that a sufficient supply of micromolecule selenium compounds can restrain HIV outside of the organism and inorganic selenium compounds can restrain cow leucovirus outside of the organism. Therefore, Chen Junshi, a nutritionist in our country has pointed out that “Selenium is the only nutritional element that has direct relation with viral infection”.
2.2 Indirect relation between selenium and viruses
Recently, there have been many reports about the indirect role of selenium on viruses, and the most outstanding is that supplementation of selenium can increase the number and activity of NK cells (natural killer cells). NK cells, as the most primitive and most instinctive immune and killing cells, are a specific type of T cell, and have a strong immune and killing capacity for all microorganisms (including all kinds of viruses) and variant cells. Experiment shows that the killing capacity of NK cells is 6 to 20 times that of other immune cells.
People paying attention to biological processes are eagerly awaiting the appearance of new products that can increase NK cells. Using selenium rich nano-tea, we achieved an increase of the number of NK cells by 20 to 100%, especially with the use of selenium rich nano-white tea. The method is also effective in increasing the vitality of NK cells, showing that the activity of NK cells has a close relation with selenium status.
Other indirect effects of selenium are mainly to increase immune capacity and strengthen the defenses of birds against viruses. Supplementing selenium can significantly increase multinuclear leucocyte’s phagocytic capacity, the number of leucocytes, lymphocytes and neutrophil cells in the blood and the formation rate of E-rose wreath(?). All these are indirect effects of selenium which increase the immune function and anti-virus capacity of birds, and are of similar significance. For example, in Qidong county Jiangsu Province, a high prevalence area of hepatitis B and liver cancer, the incidence of the two diseases has been significantly reduced through a large-scale selenium supplementation experiment.