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Food Pattern, Food Selenium and Environmental Stress Regulating the Urinary Selenium in Tibetan Population
Li Wang1,2, Feifei Li1,2, Chang Kong3
1Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
Biological Trace Element Research
|August 11, 2026
Summary
Tibetan residents have low urinary selenium due to soil and environmental factors. Increasing dietary diversity and selenium-rich foods can improve selenium status, despite environmental stressors influencing metabolism.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Nutritional Science
- Human Health
Background:
- The Tibetan Plateau, historically endemic for Kashin-Beck disease (KBD), faces challenges of low soil selenium and harsh environmental conditions.
- These factors contribute to selenium deficiency in local diets and increased oxidative stress and inflammation in the human body.
- Diet is the primary source of selenium, but environmental factors significantly impact its consumption and metabolism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors influencing urinary selenium concentrations in the Tibetan population.
- To explore the roles of dietary intake (food patterns and selenium concentration) and environmental stress on selenium metabolism.
- To identify key determinants for improving selenium status in this region.
Main Methods:
- Collected data from 572 Tibetan residents (2019-2022), including food consumption questionnaires, urine samples, staple food, soil, and water samples.
- Assessed environmental stressors such as oxygen concentration, temperature-humidity index, and ultraviolet radiation intensity.
- Employed statistical analysis and Random Forest (RF) modeling to determine the association, importance, and interaction of factors affecting urinary selenium.
Main Results:
- Urinary selenium levels were generally low, decreasing with age but showing no gender difference.
- Higher dietary diversity, non-local food intake (especially poultry), and increased selenium concentrations in staple foods (highland barley, wheat) were positively associated with urinary selenium.
- Environmental stressors like higher ultraviolet radiation and cold, dry conditions positively influenced urinary selenium, while oxygen concentration had a marginal effect.
Conclusions:
- Dietary diversity, non-local food consumption, and higher selenium content in local foods and agriculture are crucial for enhancing selenium status in Tibetan residents.
- Environmental stressors modulate urinary selenium through complex pathways affecting selenium depletion and metabolism.
- Recommendations include increasing food diversity, improving local food's selenium content, and revising human selenium reference standards.
