Re: Mercury Fillings and Selenium Supplements

There are plenty of scientific paper discussing the strong bond between mercury and selenium. Studies show that selenium binds with mercury and body exrection (fecal, urine) is decreased.

On the Chalcogenophilicity of Mercury: Evidence for a Strong Hg–Se Bond in [TmBut]HgSePh and its Relevance to the Toxicity of Mercury

While the potent toxicity of mercury is often associated with its high affinity for sulfur, such that it binds effectively to the cysteine residues in proteins and enzymes (note that the term “mercaptan” is an abbreviated form of “mercurium captans”, which is Latin for “seizing mercury”), another mechanism has been attributed to its impact on the biochemical roles of selenium. Specifically, the toxicity of mercury has also been attributed to (i) the interaction between between Hg(II) and selenium compounds reducing the bioavailability of selenium via the formation of insoluble mercury selenide species and (ii) mercury binding to the active sites of selenoenzymes, thereby inhibiting their functions.


http://www.columbia.edu/cu/chemistry/groups/parkin/mercury.html

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