Selenium for natural protection from breast cancer

Selenium (for breast cancer survivors)

The mineral selenium is known to be another one of the most effective nutrients for
natural protection from breast cancer and other cancers as well. Unfortunately, not
many of us obtain the recommended dose of 200 micrograms a day.

Selenium is widely known as a scavenger of free radicals (which result from
unwelcome chemical reactions in the body) and is even more powerful when
combined with vitamin E. Furthermore, selenium seems to prevent damaged DNA
from replicating, thus helping to stop cancer before it can start developing,
according to Dr. James Howenstine (2008).

Selenium is also necessary for manufacturing glutathione, the body’s own
natural antioxidant. Found in every one of your cells, glutathione helps you remain
healthy by keeping free radicals in check, detoxifying metals and carcinogens,
helping to transport amino acids into cells, and much more. Malnutrition, stress, and
toxicity can all deplete our glutathione levels, putting our immune systems at risk.

It’s no wonder that selenium is regarded as an anticancer nutrient.
Hundreds of studies confirm this, beginning in the late 1950s and ongoing today.
In 2006 an entire issue of Biomedical and Life Sciences was devoted to examining
selenium as an anticancer agent, its authors (Combs and Lü) concluding:

Most epidemiological studies have shown inverse associations of
selenium (Se) status and cancer risk; almost all experimental animal
studies have shown that supranutritional exposures of Se can reduce tumor
yield; and each of the limited number of clinical intervention trials
conducted to date has found Se treatment to be associated with reductions
in cancer risks.

Food Sources of Selenium

The amount of selenium in soil has steadily declined over the years, reflected in
diminishing levels of selenium in fruits and vegetables. Therefore the amount of
selenium in food fluctuates depending on where it was grown. And while selenium
can induce toxic effects in very large doses, most of us are actually deficient in this
mineral. Good sources of selenium include mushrooms, organic egg yolks,
seafood, poultry, whole grains, broccoli, asparagus, and Brazil nuts. In fact, eating
just a few Brazil nuts a day will meet your daily requirement. So crack open a few
Brazil nuts and wash them down with a glass of vitamin C–rich orange or tomato juice!

Should you decide to supplement with selenium, the Life Extension Foundation
(www.lef.org), a well-respected source of nutritional information and online
supplement retailer, recommends Se-methylselenocysteine (SeMSC), a naturally
occurring, organic selenium compound found in garlic and broccoli, whose
effectiveness has been established both in vitro and in vivo (El-Bayoumy et al.
2006).