Serum selenium decreased by long-term administration of conventional enteral liquid foods such as MA-8 and PN-Hi (Clinico) in elderly inpatients, who were suffered from dysphagia by cerebrovascular events. To these inpatients with low levels of serum selenium new enteral liquid foods such as L-6PM plus® or L-8 (Asahi Kasei Pharma) were administrated through nasogastric or gastric tube, which contained 40 μg of selenium per 1, 000 kcal. Fasting blood samples were obtained early in the morning. Sixteen inpatients (4 men, 12 women) aged 75 ± 13 years (M ± SD) had received long-term conventional enteral liquid foods and showed 7.1 ± 1.9 μg/dl of serum selenium (normal range 10.6 to 17.4 μg/dl). They were then changed to L-6PM plus® and L-8 from conventional liquid foods. Serum selenium increased significantly from low levels to normal range by L-6PM plus® and L-8 during 6 months. From these finding 40 μg of selenium per 1, 000 kcal were estimated to be adequate in elderly bedridden inpatients.
