Facts about Selenium and Benefits of Selenium

The facts about selenium have become clear that it plays a major role in keeping you healthy.

It is now gaining recognition in helping to prevent cancers and reducing the severity of viruses by keeping them from replicating inside your body.

The facts about selenium are also beginning to show it might help to prevent cardiovascular and heart disease as well as slowing AIDS progression in folks affected with HIV.

These is also evidence that seems to suggest that the benefits of selenium can be found in it's positive effects on our immune systems, on male reproductive health, and slowing the hands of time on our aging process.

What is Selenium?

Selenium is a nonmetallic element found in soil. Certain regions have more selenium in the soil than do others. The benefits of selenium that we gain from the foods we eat depend on where that food was grown or the animals raised.

For instance, deficiencies of selenium are common in some parts of the U.S. and China where the soil concentrations of selenium are low.

Benefits of Selenium as an Antioxidant

The facts about selenium point to its being a more powerful antioxidant than Vitamin E. As a matter of fact, selenium's antioxidant properties work best when combined with Vitamin E. We covered what an antioxidant is and does back on our Vitamin E page.

But just briefly, an antioxidant seeks out and destroys free radicals. Free radicals cause cell damage called oxidative stress. Free radicals roam throughout your body wreaking havoc and damaging cell membranes and your DNA.

This damage can cause chronic disease down the road and can accelerate your aging process. One of the facts about selenium is that it is an antioxidant and destroys and neutralizes these free radicals.

Facts About Selenium and Cancer Prevention

Studies have linked the benefits of selenium with a decreased incidence of mortality from cancer. Folks with higher levels of selenium intake are linked with lower rates of certain cancers including prostate, lung, and colorectal.

It has also been found that folks living in parts of the United States with low soil levels of selenium experience a higher occurrence of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

An article appearing in the National Library of Medicine titled "Dietary selenium repletion may reduce cancer incidence in people at high risk who live in areas with low soil selenium" tells us that "Studies examining the relationship between dietary selenium intake and risk of various cancers have shown that low selenium intake is associated with higher cancer rates."

The same article goes on to say "Selenium supplementation did not reduce skin cancer rates, but the incidence of total, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers was significantly reduced by the intervention."

Another article in the Journal of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences states that...

"However, selenium treatment was associated with reductions in several secondary endpoints: total mortality, mortality from all cancers combined, as well as the incidence of all cancers combined, lung cancer, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer."

It continues...

"The consistencies of these associations over time, between study clinics and for the leading cancer sites strongly suggests benefits of selenium supplementation... supporting the hypothesis that supplemental selenium can reduce cancer risk."

What is the mechanism these benefits of selenium? Well remember the facts about selenium above as it related to antioxidant properties? It is believed that this is one of the mechanisms responsible for these benefits of selenium.

Selenium is also thought to be able to slow or even stop the growth of tumors. It is believed to do this by boosting immune cells and cutting off blood vessels to the tumor.

Benefits of Selenium and Cardiovascular Disease

Although the facts about selenium regarding its relationship to reduced heart disease are still being studied, there is a growing body of evidence that points to a relationship.

One thing we do know is that there is an association between a low intake of antioxidants and a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Low levels of antioxidants results in an increased level of free radical activity and a higher level of oxidative stress to our cells

An article in Biofactors tells us that "Antioxidants are crucial components of fruit/vegetable rich diets preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer."

We also know that selenium is a powerful antioxidant. An article in the Nutrition Science News states "The mineral selenium has been gaining household recognition and respect in recent years by virtue of its addition to the list of nutritional antioxidants - substances that offer protection against our most dreaded diseases and aging. Indeed, selenium, as a component of several enzymes, does help rid the body of destructive oxidation products."

And even though all the facts about selenium relating to cardiovascular disease are not yet in, a logical conclusion might be drawn between the benefits of selenium and a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Facts about Selenium and the Flu

An article appearing in the United Press International reports on the link between low selenium levels in laboratory mice and the rate at which a flu virus introduced into them, mutated into a more virulent strain.

An associate professor of pediatrics and nutrition at the University of North Carolina schools of Medicine and Public Health reported to UPI that it is quite likely that a transformation similar to this would be possible in humans who are deficient in selenium.

Benefits of Selenium and Arthritis

Another of the facts about selenium is that it folks suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have been found to have low selenium levels.

An article appearing in the National Library of Medicine tells us that "Oxygen free radicals have been implicated as mediators of tissue damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Thus it is possible that several micronutrients acting as antioxidants and free radical scavengers provide protection against RA."

It continues...

"Serum alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and selenium were studied for their associations with the risk of RA. CONCLUSIONS--The results of the present study are in line with the hypothesis that a low antioxidant level is a risk factor for RA."

Again, the facts about selenium point to selenium as an antioxidant and destroyer of damaging free radicals.

Don't Overdo It

The facts about selenium point to its amazing benefits. But taken in large quantities, selenium can be toxic. The RDA for an adult is currently set at 55 micrograms/day. But it is thought that this should be revised upwards somewhat. Some of the research on the benefits of selenium was carried out using selenium in the 100-200 microgram range

An article appearing in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention tells us that "A large-scale selenium human intervention trial in the United States suggests no harm due to long-term selenium intake of 200 micrograms/day."

However the Tolerable Upper Limit set by the U.S. Government is 400 micrograms/day and at levels exceeding 850 micrograms for extended periods, folks can experience nail and hair brittleness. Ingestion of gram quantities of selenium can be fatal (remember that 1 microgram is one-millionth of a gram).

What Do We Recommend?

The facts about selenium seem to point to the benefits of getting a healthy dose of selenium in your multivitamin. This insures that selenium and the other nutrients you are getting are working together synergistically.

None other than Harvard School of Public Health weighed in by stating that the, "... intake of several vitamins above the minimum daily requirement may prevent heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and other chronic diseases."

Also, an article appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) had this to say: "…suboptimal intake of some vitamins, above levels causing classic vitamin deficiency, is a risk factor for chronic diseases and common in the general population..."

In addition, the JAMA went on to say, "Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone. Pending strong evidence of effectiveness from randomized trials, it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements."

We've seen lots of products out there and we recommend not wasting your time or money on the mass produced, mass marketed thrift store variety multivitamins.

Most of these skimp on the amount of nutrients in their formulations and some are are just downright low quality.