[Selenium intake by the population of Lithuania]

The level of selenium was assayed in the blood and food products to study the providing of the Lithuanian population with this trace element. It was shown that imported wheat containing high levels of selenium played a significant role in providing with this trace element of the population of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia where home-produced foods are deficient in selenium. The mean level of selenium in the blood serum of the Lithuanian population comprised 90 micrograms/l (96 micrograms/l was most frequent). Selenium consumption was 100 micrograms/man.