People who get too much selenium -- a natural mineral found in foods and in supplements -- can raise cholesterol almost 10 percent, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Warwick said in a news release that people normally get selenium, an anti-oxidant, from vegetables, meat and seafood.

High cholesterol has been linked to heart disease.

A team led by Dr. Saverio Stranges studied more than 1,000 people in the U.K. The patients with the highest concentrations of selenium had an average cholesterol score 8 percent higher than average.

Nearly half of the people with the most selenium in their blood said they take dietary supplements. Stranges said that people believe that taking a multivitamin with selenium can reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases, though he said there is no direct evidence that is true.

The work was published in the Journal of Nutrition.