Selenium has recently gained attention for its indirect, albeit important role as an antioxidant. Selenium is a component of glutathione peroxidases, a family of antioxidant enzymes that aid in preventing lipid peroxidation and membrane damage that can result from free radicals. Studies indicate the selenium status is highly dependent upon dietary sources of selenium which can be highly variable depending upon the selenium content of the soil from which the given food originates. The purpose of this study was to assess which foods or food groups best affect serum selenium in subjects with low selenium status (i.e., selenium concentrations < 70 microg/L). One hundred and twenty-nine subjects residing in Poland completed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Serum selenium concentrations were determined using the electrothermal absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) technique following serum dilution. The consumption of ham, honey and tea was positively associated with the selenium concentration in the sera of selenium-inadequate subjects. In The selenium concentrations in the sera of the selenium-adequate subjects were positively correlated with the frequencies of wholegrain bread consumption and processed fruit consumption. These results suggest that frequent consumption of ham, tea and honey may be effective to improve the selenium concentration of selenium-inadequate subjects.

The predominant carbohydrates found in honey are glucose and fructose, the relative percentages of which depend largely on the floral variety. Research suggests that the fructose-to-glucose ratio in a given honey and, thus, its floral source, may influence the glycemic response and, thus, the glycemic index (GI). To date, no studies of examining the GI of US honey varieties are available. Thus the purpose of this study was to determine the GI of four US honey varieties (clover, tupelo, cotton, and buckwheat) differing in fructose-to-glucose ratio. Twelve healthy adult men and women with a mean (+/-standard error) age of 24.5+/-1.5 years served as subjects. The glycemic index of 250-mL solution servings of clover, buckwheat, cotton, and tupelo honeys providing 50 g carbohydrate were assessed relative to triplicate feedings of 50 g carbohydrate as a glucose solution. Fructose-to-glucose ratios were 1.09, 1.12, 1.03, 1.54, for clover, buckwheat, cotton, and tupelo, respectively. Blood was collected after an overnight fast and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after intake. Ten minutes were allowed for food consumption. Areas under the glycemic response curves for each honey were expressed as percent means of each participant's average response to glucose feedings. The means (+/-standard error) of the glycemic index were 69.2+/-8.1, 73.4+/-6.4, 73.6+/-6.6, 74.1+/-8.2 for clover, buckwheat, cotton, and tupelo honeys, respectively. No statistically significant differences between the honeys were apparent, nor was a relationship between glycemic index and the fructose-to-glucose ratio detected. These results indicate that small differences in fructose-to-glucose ratios do not substantially impact honey glycemic index.