Selenium supplement may reduce cancer risk

One in every four deaths in United State is caused by cancer. That's 1,500 people each day. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), cancer is the second leading killer disease in the United States.

Many of these cancers are caused by human own bad behaviors - tobacco and alcohol use, lack of exercise, and poor diet - which has led researchers to investigate the ability of nutritional supplements to reduce cancer risk.

Selenium is a trace mineral found in soil, water and some foods. It is an essential element in several metabolic pathways, including the glutathione-peroxidase pathway. Selenium appears to promote antioxidant activity in the body via glutathione peroxidase selenium-dependent enzyme.

There is now convincing evidence that selenium (an essential mineral found in various foods such as Brazil nuts and mushrooms) when taken daily as a supplement can significantly reduce the risk of cancer. Studies show that one Brazil nut per day can provide 75 mcg of selenium.

On Christmas day in 1996, the Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a decade long, clinical trial in which modest dietary selenium supplements reduced total cancer incidence among the seniors in the US by 37%.
Selenium supplement may reduce cancer risk