Selenium supplements in the form of organic high-selenium yeast tablets provide the best cancer chemo-protection. These supplements are made using the yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a selenium-enriched growth medium. The yeast cells that produce the high selenium yeast tablets are rendered inactive. They are killed off by a heating process. Strains of the same yeast species are used to brew beer and bake bread.
Selenium supplementation and the risk of prostate cancer? What do we know? We need to be careful in interpreting the research results that we have (and we need more research), but, yes, there is evidence for an inverse association between prostate cancer risk and selenium status [Hurst 2012].
As of this writing (April 2017), the protective effect of selenium supplementation against prostate cancer seems to be found in a relatively narrow range of plasma selenium status [Hurst 2012]. Furthermore, there seems to be a U-shaped relationship between selenium status and protection against prostate cancer.
If the concentrations of selenium in the plasma are too low, there is increased risk of prostate cancer. This is a serious concern in many regions of the world.read more
The results of Dr. Larry Clark’s Nutritional Prevention of Cancer trial showed the efficacy of selenium supplementation in reducing the risk of colon cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. Now, a meta-analysis of 69 studies shows that higher selenium exposure is associated with reductions in the risk of breast cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer.
Authors of a recent meta-analysis of 69 studies of selenium exposure and cancer risk have concluded that high selenium exposure can reduce cancer risk, especially high selenium exposure that is reflected in high plasma or serum selenium status and/or in high toenail concentrations [Cai 2016]. Admittedly, higher selenium intakes (as compared to lower selenium intakes) can affect different forms of cancer differently. We still need more research to sort out which forms and dosages of dietary and supplemental selenium are most effective at reducing cancer risk. In this article, I want to summarize the findings of Dr. Xianlei Cai and colleagues.
What is a meta-analysis of selenium exposure and cancer risk? A meta-analysis is a research method of combining the data from several selected research studies to reach conclusions that have greater statistical power. In the present case, Cai et al selected 69 studies that met their inclusion criteria. Each one of the 69 selected studies had the following characteristics:read more
Dietary intakes of selenium vary considerably from person to person and region to region. Selenium supplements are necessary to raise selenium status sufficiently to prevent oxidative damage to the cells, to improve immune function, and to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
How much selenium from food and supplements do we need on a daily basis? Which bio-markers of optimal selenium status seem to be most useful to answer this question? Dr. Rachel Hurst and Dr. Susan J. Fairweather-Tait, Norwich Medical School, United Kingdom, and their colleagues set out to find answers. The design of their study is very interesting.
They enrolled 119 healthy British men and women aged 50 – 64 years in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that lasted 12 weeks [Hurst]. They excluded the following persons from the study:
smokers
overweight people
people with already high plasma selenium status
people with long-term illnesses
people on various medications
people unwilling to discontinue taking vitamins and herbal remedies at least one month prior to the start of the study
selenium-enriched yeast tablets containing 50, 100, or 200 micrograms of a patented organic selenium (SelenoPrecise® preparation delivered by Pharma Nord, Denmark)
selenium-enriched onion meals that provided the equivalent of 50 micrograms of selenium per day
unenriched onion meals that provided the equivalent of less than 4 micrograms of selenium per day
Measurements of selenium Remember: Selenium is a trace element. We measure its intake in micrograms per day, not milligrams. We measure selenium status in plasma and serum in terms of micrograms per liter (or equivalently, in nanograms per milliliter). Selenium in toenails or hair, then, we measure in micrograms per gram.read more
Baker’s yeast and brewer’s yeast and high selenium yeast … all strains of the same species of yeast … Saccharomyces cerevisiae … High selenium yeast preparations are the most effective form of selenium supplements. The yeast in the tablets is dead and inactive. There is no risk of a yeast infection from a high selenium yeast preparation.
The trace element selenium is an essential component of the selenium-dependent enzymes called selenoproteins. We need these selenoproteins for the optimal biological functioning of our cells. Specifically, we need adequate daily intakes of selenium for the protection of cellular DNA, for successful reproduction, for proper thyroid gland function, for protection against infections, for anti-oxidative protection against the damage caused by free radicals, and for the prevention of cancer and heart disease.
What form of selenium is best? Many of us cannot get enough selenium in our diets, especially if we do not regularly eat Brazil nuts (very high in selenium) or if we eat relatively little meat and fish. However, there are various supplemental forms of selenium available to us as consumers.read more
The research base for supplementation with selenium shows the need for adequate daily selenium intakes and adequate selenium status. The formulation and the dosage of the selenium supplement are very important.
Daily selenium intakes? We need to get this essential trace element – selenium — in our diets and in our supplements because our bodies cannot make it for us. The work of Dr. Gerhard N. Schrauzer, Dr. Raymond J. Shamberger, and Dr. Douglas V. Frost has shown that there is an inverse relationship between our selenium status and the risk of cancer mortality. Animal studies show an inverse correlation between selenium status and incidence of cancer. Observational studies show lower risk of various types of cancer with higher selenium status.
Intervention studies of selenium supplementation and cancer Clinical studies in China Large interventional studies in China, a region of the world with selenium-poor soils and foodstuffs, have shown that selenium supplements protect against hepatitis B virus and primary liver cancer [Yu] and that supplementation with a combination of selenium and other antioxidants reduces cancer incidence and mortality in a region characterized by high cancer mortality rates [Blot].read more
The Bonelli study showed that a selenium-based antioxidant supplement combination reduces the risk of developing new adenomatous polyps in the large intestine following the removal of colorectal polyps. Adenomas, if not prevented or removed, can develop into colorectal cancer tumors.
Dr. Luigina Bonelli and a team of researchers in Genoa, Italy, were motivatedby the following set of compelling facts:
Colorectal cancer was the second leading cause of cancer death in Europe.
Adenomas in the colon (adenomas are benign tumors, which sometimes transform to malignant tumors) were known to be precursors of colorectal cancer.
Patients who had undergone a colonic polypectomy (removal of an adenomatous polyp) had an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer and needed to have periodic follow-up colonoscopies.
Increased risk of developing adenomas was equated with increased risk of developing colorectal cancers.
Observational studies indicated that there was an association between the plasma or serum concentrations of several antioxidant substances including selenium and the risk of colorectal cancer.
In some intervention studies, supplementation with selenium was associated with reductions in the incidence of colorectal cancer.
The time was right to start a large study of the effectiveness of selenium and other antioxidants in reducing the risk of colorectal cancer.
Selenium to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer Dr. Bonelli and her colleagues wanted to see if daily supplementation with a combination of antioxidants including selenium could reduce the risk of recurrent adenomas in patients who had had one or more adenomatous polyps removed. The researchers designed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial and, over the period of many years, they enrolled a total of 411 patients who had undergone a polypectomy.read more
Adequate intakes of selenium are needed to ensure the optimal functioning of the selenoproteins in the body. Selenoproteins provide protection against the development of cancer and heart disease; they are important for immune system defense; they protect against damage caused by heavy metals and chemical toxins and radiation. And, there is evidence that some of the selenoproteins have anti-viral properties.
Selenium? A trace element? You might well ask: How do we know that adequate amounts of dietary and supplemental selenium are important to us? The first answer is: because we can see that selenium deficiency makes people sick. A further answer is that we now know that selenium is an essential component of antioxidant enzymes. And, on the basis of the results of randomized controlled trials, we know that selenium supplementation reduces the risk of cancer, reduces the risk of heart disease, and improves immune function. Selenium is also very useful for reducing the toxic effects of heavy metals in the body.
Reason number one: Selenium-deficiency diseases Keshan disease In the 1960’s and 1970’s, thousands of people living in a region of China with selenium-poor soil, and, consequently, with selenium-poor food, died from the effects of a form of heart disease. The disease, which took its name from Keshan county in the afflicted region of China, is characterized by inflammation and enlargement of the heart muscle and excess fluid in the lungs. The primary cause of the disease was selenium deficiency.read more
Dr. Gerhard N. Schrauzer was the first scientist to study the biological functions of selenium systematically. He was known internationally for his pioneering work in the cancer-protective properties of selenium. (Picture: Cancer Research, vol. 49 no. 23, Dec. 1, 1989)
Dr. Gerhard N. Schrauzer was the grand old man of selenium science. Actually, he was the grand old man of trace element research in the United States for 30 years or more. He was one of the pioneers and one of the major figures in selenium research. Let’s take a look at the useful contributions of information to the selenium supplementation knowledge base that Dr. Schrauzer made.
First, who was Dr. Schrauzer in the context of selenium research? Dr. Schrauzer did his graduate study in chemistry at the University in Munich, Germany. He was awarded his Ph.D. summa cum laude. From 1966 to 1994, he was a chemistry and biochemistry professor at the University of California in San Diego (UCSD). After his retirement, he was a professor emeritus at UCSD.read more
Selenium is an important component of the antioxidant defense in the cells. It helps to protect against oxidative damage to both cells and DNA. It has been shown to have a protective effect against the damage to skin cells caused by ultraviolet radiation.
Why the interest in selenium facts? Here, at the beginning of the seleniumfacts.com website, we want to review in broad terms what we know about the functions of selenium supplementation. We are especially interested in selenium’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the human body.
Selenium is an essential trace element in the human diet, and, in many regions of the world, it is an absolutely necessary nutritional supplement. It has many and diverse functions in the human body.
One of the interesting things about selenium is that it does not perform its functions as an element or an ion. Instead, it functions as a component of more complex compounds. In particular, it is an essential component of the 21st amino acid, selenocysteine.read more
The body’s selenium level can be measured by using a blood sample
In a new scientific study, Danish researchers from Copenhagen University have demonstrated that methylated selenium compounds can regulate the body’s immune system enabling it to better fight certain cancers. These selenium compounds are found in certain foods such as garlic and broccoli but also in the selenium preparations containing selenium yeast.
Certain cancers such as skin cancer, prostate cancer, and some forms of leukemia weaken the body’s immune system by overstimulating it until it eventually breaks down, giving cancer cells a free rein in the body. What this new Danish research shows is that the intake of selenium compounds that can be metabolized into methylselenol improves the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.read more
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
