Did you know…that an inexpensive and readily available mineral called selenium offers exceptional protection against cancer?
Over the last few decades, several randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have shown that a daily dose of just 200 mcg of selenium (at a cost of just pennies) can…slash breast cancer risk by 82%…reduce colon and rectal cancer risk by 69%…cut prostate cancer risk by 54%…and cut lung cancer risk by 39%—even if you are a smoker!
- The research on breast cancer was published in 1982 by Gerhard Schrauser, M.D.
- The research on prostate, colorectal, and lung cancer was conducted by Larry Clark, M.D. and published in the Journal of The American Medical Association. This study used the gold standard of research methodology and took place over 7 years. It compared the effects of patients given 200 mcg of selenomethionine (a type of selenium) with placebo.
Earth Shattering Results
Dr. Peter Glidden, N.D., has speculated publicly about why these astonishing findings about selenium benefits and cancer protection are not being brought to the public, despite the supposed “War on Cancer.”
“The results were earth shattering,” says Dr. Glidden, “but because they involved the use of a mineral supplement, and not a prescription drug, they were overlooked. Imagine the media frenzy that a cancer drug that reduced the occurrence of breast cancer by 82% would receive! Your doctor should have called you up immediately and passed on this news to you, but this is probably the first time that you have heard it.”
With this kind of data backing it up, selenium—at an average cost of about $5 a bottle for 100 capsules of 200 mcg each—merits a close look as a potential supplement to add to your regimen.
What Is Selenium?
Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to good health. Selenium is important to the production of antioxidants that protect the body from damage caused by free radicals.
For most people around the world, plant foods are the most common dietary sources of selenium. Good sources include wheat germ, oats, sunflower seeds, and mushrooms.
The amount of selenium benefits in certain plants varies depending on the region it is grown due to differences in soil quality and mineral content. Unfortunately, poor farming practices have left much of our topsoil mineral deficient, a fact widely recognized since the 1930s. This is one of the reasons organically produced produce should contain more nutrients, including selenium, than produce from agribusiness.
Eggs and poultry also provide selenium, as does seafood including tuna, salmon, shrimp, and halibut. However, due to contamination from polluted waters, plant sources are a safer option.
One of the best food sources for selenium benefits are found in Brazil nuts. A single Brazil nut provides more than 50 mcg of selenium—more than the recommended daily allowance.
Remember, though, that the patients in the studies were taking 200 mcg daily in addition to whatever selenium they obtained from foods. Therefore, some experts suggest that a combined total of 300 mcg daily is the minimum amount to ingest for cancer preventive benefits.
How Selenium Fights Cancer
Selenium is believed to protect against cancer by disrupting the carcinogenic process before it makes headway…by preventing tumors from forming. Selenium’s antioxidant properties are also cancer protective, as is its ability to inhibit DNA mutations.
Selenium benefits also promotes thyroid health. It does so by converting stored thyroid T4 hormones into active T3 hormones. Your endocrine system requires this conversion in order to function properly.
Interestingly, endocrine balance is crucial for preventing breast and prostate cancers—two of the cancers selenium benefits are proven to fight.
Tips for Supplementing with Selenium
In addition to selenium benefits from organic Brazil nuts, selenium supplements are readily available wherever vitamins are sold. Experts advise that if you choose to take a selenium supplement, you should pay close attention to your zinc levels, as well.
The two minerals combined work synergistically, and may offer stronger cancer protection.