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Nutrition
Selenium - Make Sure You Get Enough Of This Vital Mineral
Date: 21/02/06
As long-time readers of the e-Alert know, selenium is a valuable mineral when it comes to good health.
Selenium helps increase insulin efficiency, curbs the mutation of viruses, and helps fight autoimmune disorders. Selenium has also been shown to reduce the risk of developing cancer: specifically liver, colorectal and prostate cancers.
So it is important to make sure that you get enough selenium.
Selenium and vitamin E work together
German researchers from the University of Hannover recently reported on a study they did looking at deficient nutrients. They examined 178 women over the age of 63 who submitted blood samples and dietary information. Among the women they looked at, the two nutrients that were found to be significantly deficient were selenium and vitamin E.
This is particularly noteworthy because these antioxidants happen to complement one another. As US HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., commented in an earlier e-Alert 'An easy way to protect yourself from prostate cancer' (16/5/05):
'Both selenium and vitamin E are intimately associated with stimulation of the part of the immune system dealing with production of immunoglobulins. Antibody response in several animal studies was dependent on both selenium and vitamin E status.
'Affecting the immune system is why so many different illnesses are said to respond to correcting deficiencies of these two nutrients...you strengthen immunity and lots of problems go away.'
Higher levels are associated with a lower risk of mortality
Another recent selenium study was lead by a team from Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania.
Blood samples taken from more than 630 women over the age of 70 were measured for concentrations of selenium and carotenoids (organic plant pigments that have been shown to help control inflammation). Researchers found that higher levels of selenium and total carotenoids were associated with a lower risk of mortality during the five-year study period when compared with women who had lower levels of the two nutrients.
About 90 subjects died over the duration of the study. The primary causes were heart disease and cancer.
Fortunately selenium and carotenoids come packaged together in many fruits and vegetables, although the amount of selenium varies depending on crop location. The selenium content of soil determines the selenium concentration in foods grown in that soil. Unfortunately, according to NutraIngredients.com, the selenium content of UK soil is so low that the selenium levels in bread-making wheats are as much as 10 to 50 times lower than similar wheats in the US and Canada.
Besides fruit and vegetables, bread, fish and meat all contain selenium. The real selenium powerhouse, however, is the Brazil nut, weighing in at 840 mcg of selenium per ounce.
Selenium helps increase insulin efficiency, curbs the mutation of viruses, and helps fight autoimmune disorders. Selenium has also been shown to reduce the risk of developing cancer: specifically liver, colorectal and prostate cancers.
So it is important to make sure that you get enough selenium.
Selenium and vitamin E work together
German researchers from the University of Hannover recently reported on a study they did looking at deficient nutrients. They examined 178 women over the age of 63 who submitted blood samples and dietary information. Among the women they looked at, the two nutrients that were found to be significantly deficient were selenium and vitamin E.
This is particularly noteworthy because these antioxidants happen to complement one another. As US HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., commented in an earlier e-Alert 'An easy way to protect yourself from prostate cancer' (16/5/05):
'Both selenium and vitamin E are intimately associated with stimulation of the part of the immune system dealing with production of immunoglobulins. Antibody response in several animal studies was dependent on both selenium and vitamin E status.
'Affecting the immune system is why so many different illnesses are said to respond to correcting deficiencies of these two nutrients...you strengthen immunity and lots of problems go away.'
Higher levels are associated with a lower risk of mortality
Another recent selenium study was lead by a team from Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania.
Blood samples taken from more than 630 women over the age of 70 were measured for concentrations of selenium and carotenoids (organic plant pigments that have been shown to help control inflammation). Researchers found that higher levels of selenium and total carotenoids were associated with a lower risk of mortality during the five-year study period when compared with women who had lower levels of the two nutrients.
About 90 subjects died over the duration of the study. The primary causes were heart disease and cancer.
Fortunately selenium and carotenoids come packaged together in many fruits and vegetables, although the amount of selenium varies depending on crop location. The selenium content of soil determines the selenium concentration in foods grown in that soil. Unfortunately, according to NutraIngredients.com, the selenium content of UK soil is so low that the selenium levels in bread-making wheats are as much as 10 to 50 times lower than similar wheats in the US and Canada.
Besides fruit and vegetables, bread, fish and meat all contain selenium. The real selenium powerhouse, however, is the Brazil nut, weighing in at 840 mcg of selenium per ounce.
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