Lack of selenium increases the toxicity of pain-relieving medication
Millions of people take painkillers such as Panadol or Calpol that contain paracetamol, and an estimated one billion people or so lack selenium due to nutrient-depleted farmland. This is an unfortunate cocktail because being deficient of selenium increases the risk of using paracetamol, so even the recommended dosage burdens the liver to such an extent that it causes toxicity and increase the risk of side effects. This was demonstrated in a collaborative study carried out by Bath University in England and Southwest University in China.