Selenium is a trace element, which was discovered in 1817 by the Swedish chemist Berzelius.
One of the most effective naturally occurring weapons against cancer is, like most healthy things, something many of us are not getting enough of.
The mineral selenium has been shown in multiple studies to be an effective tool in warding off various types of cancer, including breast, esophageal, stomach, liver and bladder cancers.
Supplementation with selenium has been found to decrease the risk of prostate cancer.
Selenium is in the selenocysteine part of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which detoxifies hydrogen peroxide and lipoperoxidases. Thus it is part of the antioxidative defense against free- radical damage generated by oxygen metabolism.
It was reported that daily supplementation of 200 micrograms of selenium can reduced the recurrence of a number of cancer types.
Not many people get the recommended dose of 200 micrograms a day. Most Americans only get between 60 and 100 micrograms of selenium daily from dietary sources. That means daily supplements might be worth considering.
Selenium was first used in conventional medicine as a treatment for dandruff, but our understanding of the mineral has come a long way since then.
Recent studies have found that’s selenium can play a significant rile in decreasing the incidence of tumors in experimenting animals.
Today, research shows selenium, especially when used in conjunction with vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene, 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).
Selenium also helps stop damaged DNA molecules from reproducing.
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 one study, showed that populations in areas with low selenium in the soil have been found to have higher cancer incidence.
Selenium and cancer
