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Selenium Supplement Could Boost Memory in Older People, New Study

Hazelnuts drying on the ground after being collected at a nut orchard. AFP
Hazelnuts drying on the ground after being collected at a nut orchard. AFP
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Selenium Supplement Could Boost Memory in Older People, New Study

Hazelnuts drying on the ground after being collected at a nut orchard. AFP
Hazelnuts drying on the ground after being collected at a nut orchard. AFP

Selenium – a mineral found in many foods – could reverse the cognitive impact of stroke and boost learning and memory in aging brains, according to University of Queensland research. The findings were published in the latest issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.

Lead researcher Dr. Tara Walker said studies on the impact of exercise on the aging brain found levels of a protein key to transporting selenium in the blood were elevated by physical activity.

“Our study investigated whether dietary selenium supplements could replicate the effects of exercise. Our models showed that selenium supplementation could increase neuron generation and improve cognition in elderly mice," Walker said.

The levels of new neuron generation decrease rapidly in aged mice, as they do in humans. When selenium supplements were given to the mice, the production of neurons increased, reversing the cognitive deficits observed in aging.

Selenium is an essential trace mineral absorbed from soil and water and is found in foods such as grains, meat and nuts, with the highest levels found in Brazil nuts. The scientists also tested whether selenium would have an impact on the cognitive decline sometimes experienced following stroke, which can affect people's memory and ability to learn.

"Young mice are really good at the learning and memory tasks, but after a stroke, they could no longer perform these tasks. We found that learning and memory deficits of stroke affected mice returned to normal when they were given selenium supplements," Walker said.

The results opened a new therapeutic avenue to boost cognitive function in people who were unable to exercise due to poor health or old age. "However, selenium supplements shouldn't be seen as a complete substitute for exercise, and too much can be bad for you," she said.

"A person who is getting a balanced diet of fruits, nuts, veggies and meat usually has good selenium levels. But in older people, particularly those with neurological conditions, selenium supplements could be beneficial,” Walker concluded.

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Sunshine Abounds as the Summer Solstice Arrives

Children cool off as they run through a public fountain in Colmar, eastern France, on August 21, 2023, as France experiences a late summer heatwave. (AFP)
Children cool off as they run through a public fountain in Colmar, eastern France, on August 21, 2023, as France experiences a late summer heatwave. (AFP)
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Sunshine Abounds as the Summer Solstice Arrives

Children cool off as they run through a public fountain in Colmar, eastern France, on August 21, 2023, as France experiences a late summer heatwave. (AFP)
Children cool off as they run through a public fountain in Colmar, eastern France, on August 21, 2023, as France experiences a late summer heatwave. (AFP)

Peak sunshine has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere: the summer solstice.

Friday is the longest day of the year north of the equator, where the solstice marks the start of astronomical summer. It's the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the shortest day of the year and winter will start.

The word “solstice” comes from the Latin words “sol” for sun and “stitium” which can mean “pause” or “stop.” The solstice is the end of the sun's annual march higher in the sky, when it makes its longest, highest arc. The bad news for sun lovers: It then starts retreating and days will get a little shorter every day until late December.

People have marked solstices for eons with celebrations and monuments, including Stonehenge, which was designed to align with the sun's paths at the solstices. Here’s what to know about the Earth’s orbit.

Solstices are when days and nights are at their most extreme

As the Earth travels around the sun, it does so at an angle relative to the sun. For most of the year, the Earth’s axis is tilted either toward or away from the sun. That means the sun’s warmth and light fall unequally on the northern and southern halves of the planet.

The solstices mark the times during the year when this tilt is at its most extreme, and days and nights are at their most unequal.

During the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice, the upper half of the earth is tilted toward the sun, creating the longest day and shortest night of the year. This solstice falls between June 20 and 22.

Meanwhile, at the winter solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is leaning away from the sun, leading to the shortest day and longest night of the year. The winter solstice falls between December 20 and 23.

The equinox is when there is an equal amount of day and night

During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight.

The word equinox comes from two Latin words meaning equal and night. That’s because on the equinox, day and night last almost the same amount of time, though one may get a few extra minutes, depending on where you are on the planet.

The Northern Hemisphere’s spring, or vernal, equinox can land between March 19 and 21, depending on the year. Its fall, or autumnal, equinox can land between Sept. 21 and 24.

On the equator, the sun will be directly overhead at noon. Equinoxes are the only time when both the north and south poles are lit by sunshine at the same time.

What's the difference between meteorological and astronomical seasons? These are just two different ways to carve up the year.

While astronomical seasons depend on how the Earth moves around the sun, meteorological seasons are defined by the weather. They break down the year into three-month seasons based on annual temperature cycles. By that calendar, spring starts on March 1, summer on June 1, fall on Sept. 1 and winter on Dec. 1.