Smoking can deplete selenium

Smoking is a widely accepted practice in Bangladeshi men and is associated with socializing, sharing, and male identity. Study in Bangladesh published in Nutrition Journal (Nutr J. 2004; 3: 18) shows that smoking has been associated with lower selenium levels in the body.

Selenium counteracts many of the toxic effects of smoking tobacco. Smoking depletes the body's selenium supplies. In the liver this mineral retard the conversion of hydrocarbons into carcinogens — an important function in human polluted environment.

According to research published in Toxicological Sciences (Toxicol Sci. 2009 Oct; 111(2): 247–253), cigarette smoke increased cell proliferation in the terminal bronchioles and large airways, but not in alveoli. High-selenium diets inhibited cell proliferation in the alveoli, terminal bronchioles and large airways areas in both control and smoke-exposed mice. Increasing the dietary selenium level led to increased selenium levels in the blood and lung.
Smoking can deplete selenium