SELENIUM and Cancer - what you were not told about.

SELENIUM and Cancer - what you were not told about.

 

Selenium is a mineral that, although only needed in small amounts (a maximum daily level should not exceed more than 200 micrograms/day NOT milligram - BUT EVEN THEN Not many people get the recommended dose), is said to protect the body against some of the major diseases.

Selenium teams with vitamin E to protect cells from damage, slowing down the aging process, helping the body resist infection, and protecting the body against toxic materials such as cigarette smoke. 

It acts as an anti-inflammatory agent to combat conditions such as arthritis.  And take NOTE that all diseases STARTS with INFLAMMATION OF THE CELLS (Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of the best-selling Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, and Mother-Daughter Wisdom) THAT IS WHY ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS such as OMEGA 3 are CRUCIAL in THE FIGHT OF DEGENERATIVE DISEASES such as Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes etc.

Selenium Rich Foods List	ug (units)
Brazil Nuts	up to 1500
Wheat germ	up to 300
Brewers Yeast	up to 260

You'll find selenium in many grains, nuts, and vegetables.

Brazil Nuts

According to research, there is a greater risk of heart disease and cancer (specifically breast and skin cancers) if you are deficient in selenium. Deficiency may also lead to a lowering of resistance against disease.  (http://www.weightlossforall.com/foods-rich-selenium.htm)

 

HOW POWERFUL IS SELENIUM AGAINST CANCER 
Selenium was first used as a treatment for dandruff.  Today, research shows selenium, especially when used in conjunction with vitamin C, vitamin E and  beta-carotene (note: Vitamin A and beta-carotene are not the same; when the latter will be processed by our body that's the time it'll become vitamin A), works to block chemical reactions that create  free radicals in the body (which can damage DNA and cause degenerative change in cells, leading to cancer). 

In the book,  A Physician's Guide to Natural Health Products That Work, it was found out that,

Selenium acts to prevent tumors from developing. "It contributes towards the death of cancerous and pre-cancer cells. Their death appears to occur before they replicate, thus helping stop cancer before it gets started,"   In addition to preventing the onset of the disease, selenium has also been shown to aid in slowing cancer's progression in patients that already have it.

 

A 1996 study by Dr. Larry Clark of the University of Arizona showed just how effective selenium can be in protecting against cancer. In the study of 1,300 older people, the occurrence of cancer among those who took 200 micrograms of selenium daily for about seven years was reduced by 42% compared to those given a placebo. Cancer deaths for those taking the selenium were cut almost in half, according to the study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.    

The safest antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and beta-carotene. Together, they block the chemical reactions that create free radicals, which can damage DNA and promote a variety of degenerative changes in cells. Chemotherapy and radiation generate free radicals; that is how they kill dividing cells. 

Selenium is needed to produce glutathione peroxidase, an antioxidant enzyme that protects the body from free radical damage.   

The patients receiving selenium had a 67% decrease in cancer of the prostate, a 58 % decrease in colon or rectal cancer and a 45% decrease in lung cancer. This suggests that possibly up to 100,000 lives a year might be saved in the USA by the simple addition of selenium to the diet. A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work By James Howenstine MD, page 149