foodconsumer.org: Selenium: The mineral miracle

Selenium: The mineral miracle
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admin on 05/17/2009 15:38:00
 
Sunday May 17, 2009(foodconsumer.org) -- There are many benefits to those who
incorporate selenium, up to 200 mgs a day, into their diet and supplement
routines. Once considered merely an antidote for dandruff, selenium spells
“bad news” for free radicals. In perusing its many attributes, we have to
ask ourselves if we can really afford not to take selenium.
According to the journal Disease Prevention and Treatment, selenium is effective
against several aggressive forms of cancer: breast, esophageal, prostate, liver
and bladder. Used in tandem with vitamins C, E and beta-carotene, selenium helps
prevent oxidative stress. Left unchecked, this chemical reaction leads to the
production of free radicals within the body.
It also keeps damaged cells from being able to reproduce; it obliterates
cancerous and precancerous cells, and slows the progression of cancer in
patients already diagnosed. In 1996, a study began by Dr. Larry Clark of the
University of Arizona verified that those who take selenium on a daily basis
have a significantly reduced risk of cancer recurrence. In a group of 1300
cancer patients studied for seven years, those who took 200 mgs of selenium
daily were 42% less likely to suffer recurrence.
For the last decade, selenium has been coming into its own. In a 1997 column,
Jane Brody of the New York Times called selenium a “Cinderella nutrient,”
one that seemed to not only fight cancer, but to act as sort of a natural
anti-depressant. At that time, researchers were so stunned by the remarkable
healing effect of selenium that they thought their findings might be too good to
be true. Luckily, study after study has proven that, indeed, the positives of
selenium with regards to health are myriad.
While most Americans will likely need a supplement to ensure they get the
recommended daily allowance of 200 mgs, there are some good food sources of the
mineral: poultry, egg yolk, muscle meats and whole grains.
Vegetarians can also find good sources of selenium, sans meat, from the
following: asparagus, mushrooms, onions, garlic and broccoli.
However, there is one caveat: only vegetables grown in selenium rich soil
contain the mineral. As for beef, it is similarly a good source of selenium if
it comes from cattle grazing on soil containing the nutrient. The good news is
that the supplement is well tolerated.
(By Rachel Stockton, and edited by Heather Kelley)