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Dr. Clark's study (involving 1312 participants over a ten year period) found that 200 mcg (micrograms) of selenium a day reduced cancer mortality by 50 percent. In addition, the people who had taken selenium had 63 percent fewer prostate cancers, 58 percent fewer colorectal cancers, 46 percent fewer lung cancers and overall 37% fewer cancers. Selenium was found to reduce the risk of lung cancer to a greater degree than stopping smoking. Selenium, a trace element found in its organic form in undepleted soils,
to date has shown greater results than any other single nutrient to prevent
and treat cancer and various autoimmune diseases. Because plants do not
require selenium, and soil content of selenium can vary from very high
to barely measurable from one region to another, there are no predictable
food sources that can yield consistent levels of nutritional selenium.
In fact many of the U.S. farm soils today are virtually depleted of many
minerals
In Dr. Clark's study, all participants had a “normal” selenium blood count, according to FDA standards. Yet those receiving placebos had almost twice the rate of cancer as those receiving selenium supplementation. This and previous studies indicate that perhaps higher levels of selenium are needed than those specified by the FDA. As early as the 1960's, Dr. Raymond Shamberger and his colleagues at
the Roswell Park Memorial Institute began researching the anti carcinogenic
(cancer inhibiting) properties of selenium. Because it was known that selenium
is an antioxidant and that an increase in free radicals increased the rate
of cancer, Dr. Shamberger and his associates hypothesized that selenium
would wage war against cancers and free radicals. Their study documented
a profound reduction of skin cancer in mice when selenium was applied topically
in higher than normal levels. In fact selenium was found to be the most
powerful and effective antioxidant tested in cancer reduction.
Although many other nutrients are now known to be anti carcinogenic, none have proven as effective as selenium in a tiny dose. Recent research suggests, however, that the antioxidant function of selenium may not be the prime attribute of its anti carcinogenic properties. Drs. Howard Ganther and Clement have presented evidence that a metabolite of selenium, -- methylselenide - may be primarily responsible for selenium's anti carcinogenic effect. In China, where the selenium levels in the soils varies much more dramatically than in the United States and the population is less mobile, an ecological study in 1985 showed dramatic results in linking cancer with selenium deficiencies. Dr. Shu-Yu Yu measured the selenium content of blood stored in blood banks in 30 different regions in China, and classified the regions as high selenium, medium selenium, and low selenium. They then compared death rates from cancer to the selenium rates and found there was an exact correlation. In the low selenium classification, three times as many people died from cancer as in the high selenium classification. Dr. Shu-Yu Yu subsequently performed double blind studies on subjects at high risk for liver cancer as indicated by the presence of the Hepatitis B antigen in their blood. Of the 226 subjects, 50 percent received 200 mcgs of selenium a day while the others received placebos. After four years of supplementation, the incidence of liver cancer was 45% lower in the group treated with selenium. But it was not until the AMA's recent publication of Dr. Larry Clark's double blind study, initially sponsored by Nutrition 21 and then completed because of a timely grant from the American Institute of Cancer Research and funding from the American Cancer Society and National Institute of Health, that America became aware of the protective benefits of selenium supplementation. In fact the FDA had only two years earlier stated that selenium was toxic and should not be allowed to be sold freely and was attempting to remove it from store shelves. Thanks to the efforts of the Life Extension Foundation and the protest by the American public at large, Congress passed a bill in 1994 limiting the FDA's jurisdiction over the sale of natural dietary supplements. Dr. Clark began his selenium study with the aid and cooperation of dermatologists and dermatology clinics in the southern states along the Atlantic coast (where soil selenium levels are relatively low and skin cancers are high). The initial objective of the research was to determine a correlation between selenium supplementation and skin cancer. Of the 1,312 patients in the study, 50 percent received 200 mcgs of selenium daily and 50 percent received sugar pills. Dr. Clark found that selenium supplements didn't have any effect on skin cancers, but halfway through the study the researchers decided to look at other forms of cancer and the number of deaths caused by cancer. The findings were so dramatic that the double blind study, which was scheduled to end in 1998, was stopped early for immediate publication. Selenium Combats Cancer and Premature Aging There are several reasons for the protective effect of selenium. Selenium activates an enzyme in the body known as glutathione peroxidase that protects against the formation of free radicals - loose molecules that can damage DNA and cause cancer through cell mutation. It likewise enhances the antioxidant properties of Vitamin E. Thus, selenium and Vitamin E are very powerful when taken together. In other studies, selenium has shown to significantly reduced the risk of coronary disease at very low microgram doses. In addition to having remarkable anti-aging properties, selenium is a natural anti-inflammatory agent and has been used to successfully obtain beneficial clinical results in about 40-45% of rheumatoid arthritis patients. The best Selenium for maximum absorption is from a dual source - organic and inorganic. One source provides defense against certain forms of cancer, while the other slows premature aging. Not all selenium products are dual source; some are single source yeast products that contain virtually no selenomethionine and are not effective in increasing selenium levels in the blood. To be sure, check ingredients on the back panel of the label. Dual Source Selenium is available through pharmacies and health food stores. Caution: In doses above 2,000 mcg. selenium can be toxic. Consult with your physician on doses over 600 mcg. ©1997, 2008 US Medical Guide, Susan and Terry Turner
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