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Selenium:
The Immune System Mineral
Selenium is an essential trace mineral that can make a life-or-death
difference and that many of us lack. Selenium is an antioxidant
key to preventing cancer and stopping the progression of
HIV infection from developing into AIDS. Research suggests
that selenium can protect humans against cancer of the lung,
ovaries, breast, colon, liver, cervix, skin, stomach and
uterus. When sufficient selenium levels are achieved, the
risk of getting cancer is half that of a person who is selenium
deficient.
There are few good food sources of selenium, so supplementation
may be the best way to obtain selenium's protective benefits.
As
an immune supportive mineral, selenium stimulates the development
and function of all types of white blood cells and enhances
the ability of lymphocytes and NK cells, or killer cells,
to activate and respond to invaders such as bacteria and
viruses, including the flu. Selenium works synergistically
with Vitamin E, A and C as an antioxidant.
In
addition, Selenium
binds with many toxic minerals such as arsenic, cadmium,
lead, and mercury and facilitates their excretion from
the body. By detoxifying per oxidized fats, via its role
in the enzyme glutathione and peroxidase, selenium inhibits
their carcinogenicity (cancer promoting traits). Selenium
also counteracts many of the toxic effects of smoking
tobacco. Smoking depletes the body's selenium supplies.
In the liver this mineral retards the conversion of hydrocarbons
into carcinogens — an important function in our polluted
environment.
Good food sources include Brasis nuts, brewer's yeast,
organically grown vegetables, sesame seeds, garlic, seafood,
liver, and mushrooms. However, modern methods of farming
and processing foods has depleted their nutritional value
of this much needed mineral, along with other essential
minerals.
Selenium
Supplementation May Reduce Cancer Risk
One in every four deaths in this country is caused by cancer.
That's 1,500 people each day. Many of these cancers are
caused by our 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.
There's
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. In one clinical
study, the risk of prostate cancer was reduced 63% in men
supplementing with selenium compared to a placebo group.
This result has created tremendous interest in the medical
community and the National Cancer Institute has funded a
much larger study called SELECT (Selenium and Vitamin E
Cancer Prevention Trial) that will enroll 32,000 male subjects
to better determine selenium's ability to prevent cancer.
For more information about SELECT and the selenium-prostate
cancer link, visit crab.org/select/.
References:
Host
nutritional selenium status as a driving force for influenza
virus mutations (PDF file)
Heather K. Nelson, Qing Shi, Peter Van Dael, Eduardo J.
Schiffrin, Stephanie Blum, Denis Barclay, Orville A. Levander,
and Melinda A. Beck, Departments of Nutrition and Pediatrics,
University of NC at Chapel Hill; Nestlé Research
Center, Lausanne, Switzerland; and USDA, ARS, Beltsville
Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, MD Corresponding
author: Melinda A. Beck, Ph.D., Department of Pediatrics,
535 Burnett-Womack, CB #7220, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
Se-adequate mice infected with virus recovered from Se-deficient
mice develop severe lung pathology Previous work in our
laboratory (5) demonstrated that Se-deficient mice developed
much more severe pathology postinfluenza virus infection
than did Se-adequate mice.
According
to the Orthomolecular
Medicine News Service:
"New clinical reports from Zambia, Uganda and South
Africa indicate that AIDS may be stopped by nutritional
supplementation. A number of members of the medical profession
have observed that high doses of the trace element selenium,
and of the amino acids cysteine, tryptophan, and glutamine
can together rapidly reverse the symptoms of AIDS, as predicted
by Dr. Harold D. Foster's nutritional hypothesis."
Burbano X, Miguez-Burbano MJ, McCollister K, Zhang G, Rodriguez
A, Ruiz P, Lecusay R, Shor-Posner G. Impact of a selenium
chemoprevention clinical trial on hospital admissions of
HIV-infected participants. HIV Clin Trials. 2002 Nov-Dec;3(6):483-91.
Baum MK, Shor-Posner G, Lai S, Zhang G, Lai H, Fletcher
MA, Sauberlich H, Page JB. High risk of HIV-related
mortality is associated with selenium deficiency. J Acquir
Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol. 1997 Aug 15;15(5):370-4.
El-Bayoumy
K. The protective role of selenium on genetic damage
and on cancer. Mutat Res. 2001 Apr 18;475(1-2):123-39.
Combs GF Jr. Status of selenium in prostate cancer prevention.
Br J Cancer. 2004 Jul 19;91(2):195-9.
Patrick
L. Toxic metals and antioxidants:
Part II. The role of antioxidants in arsenic and cadmium
toxicity. Altern Med Rev. 2003 May;8(2):106-28.
Whanger PD. Selenium in the treatment of heavy metal
poisoning and chemical carcinogenesis.
J Trace Elem Electrolytes Health Dis. 1992 Dec;6(4):209-21.
Additional
References and Research
