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Home > Anti-aging Research > Selenium

Selenium (Cimicifugae racemosae rhizoma)

Specific Recommendations (for organic selenium):

• Se-Methyl-Selenocysteine at iHerb
• Selenium products at iHerb

News & Research:

• Does selenium prevent cancer? It may depend on which form people take - Science Daily, 3/16/11 - "Hugh Harris and colleagues note that although the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer clinical trial showed that selenium reduced the risk of cancer, a later study called the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial did not show a benefit. A major difference between the trials was the form of selenium that was used. To find out whether different types of selenium have different chemopreventive properties, the researchers studied how two forms -- SeMet and MeSeCys -- are processed in human lung cancer cells ... The researchers found that MeSeCys killed more lung cancer cells than SeMet did. Also, lung cancer cells treated with MeSeCys processed the selenium differently than than cells treated with SeMet"
  • Selenomethionine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - "Selenomethionine is an amino acid containing selenium. The L-enantiomer of selenomethionine, known as Se-met and Sem, is a common natural food source of selenium"
  • Selenium metabolism in rats with long-term ingestion of Se-methylselenocysteine using enriched stable isotopes - J Toxicol Sci. 2009 Apr;34(2):191-200 - "Se-methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys)"
  • Se-Methyl-Selenocysteine products at iHerb
• Selenium deficiency may increase risk of chronic disease: Study - Nutra USA, 3/16/11 - "Since the current [US] RDA (55 micrograms per day, roughly corresponding to 100 micrograms per liter of plasma selenium) is based on the sensitivity of Gpx3 in plasma, Sepp1 is expected to be at suboptimal levels, even in some individuals meeting current selenium intake recommendations ... Based on these findings, it recently was suggested that recommended selenium intake levels should be raised from 55 to 75 micrograms per day ... cancer prevention remains one of the major benefits of selenium, and it is the only mineral that qualifies for a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved qualified health claim for general cancer reduction incidence"
• Selenium may reduce prostate cancer markers: Study - Nutra USA, 2/23/11 - "The new study tested whether a 6-week supplementation of 200 micrograms of selenium (in the form of glycinate) affected the activities of 2 blood selenium enzymes (erythrocyte and plasma GPx) and a marker of prostate cancer risk (plasma PSA) ... selenium supplementation, but not placebo, raised both plasma and erythrocyte GPx activities ... selenium glycinate, but again not placebo, lowered the cancer risk marker of serum PSA"
• Increasing selenium intake may decrease bladder cancer risk - Science Daily, 8/31/10 - "The lower the levels of selenium, the higher the risk of developing bladder cancer"
• Selenium protects men against diabetes, study suggests - Science Daily, 3/17/10 - "The role of selenium in diabetes has been controversial, with some studies suggesting that it raises diabetes risk and others finding that it is protective. Now, research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition and Metabolism, has shown that, for men, high plasma selenium concentrations are associated with a lower occurrence of dysglycemia ... for French elderly males, having plasma selenium concentrations in the top tertile of the population distribution (1.19-1.97 μmol/L) was significantly associated with a lower risk of developing dysglycemia over the following nine years ... The reason we observed a protective effect of selenium in men but not in women is not completely clear, but might be attributed to women being healthier at baseline, having better antioxidant status in general and possible differences in how men and women process selenium" - [Nutra USA]
• Antioxidant compound reduced incidence of colorectal metachronous adenomas - Science Daily, 12/7/09 - "The researchers randomized 411 participants to the placebo group or to receive an antioxidant compound -- specifically selenomethionnine 200 μg, zinc 30 mg, vitamin A 6,000 IU, vitamin C 180 mg and vitamin E 30 mg ... individuals who consumed antioxidants had a 40 percent reduction in the incidence of metachronous adenomas of the large bowel ... It is noteworthy that the benefit observed after the conclusion of the trial persisted through 13 years of follow up"
• Too Much Selenium Can Increase Your Cholesterol - Science Daily, 11/12/09
• Selenium Intake May Worsen Prostate Cancer In Some, Study Reports - Science Daily, 6/26/09
• Industry reacts to selenium, vitamin trials - Science Daily, 12/10/08
• Selenium May Prevent High Risk-bladder Cancer - Science Daily, 12/8/08
• Selenium supplements may boost heart health: Study - Nutra USA, 11/28/08
• Prostate Cancer: Vitamin E, Selenium No Help - WebMD, 10/28/08 - "That evidence included a 1998 Finnish study of whether vitamin E could prevent lung cancer in some 30,000 smokers. It didn't, but men taking vitamin E had 32% fewer prostate cancers ... I am afraid it will be the end of the story for large trials of vitamin E and selenium to prevent prostate cancer" - Note:  Most of the vitamin E studies I've read on prostate cancer indicated that only the gamma-tocopherol worked yet they spent $114 million on this study and used the cheapest synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate form.  How dumb was that?  I don't know what the story on the selenium was.  Some say it's because people in the U.S. aren't deficient in selenium.  See my comments in my 10/29/08 newsletter.
• Selenium Danger? - Dr. Weil, 9/11/08
• Diet And Medications May Assist Prevention Of Prostate Cancer - Science Daily, 9/24/07 - "dutasteride, has reduced by 50 percent the number of cancerous biopsies among men with benign prostatic hypertrophy ... In one study of selenium, the incidence of prostate cancer was reduced by 49 percent over ten years ... Data already suggests novel uses of statins, commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering agents, and insulin modulating drugs, such as metformin or the glitazones" - See dutasteride at OffshoreRX.com.
• Low selenium levels may be weakening muscles - Nutra USA, 8/27/07 - "people with the lowest plasma concentrations were 69, 94 and 94 per cent more likely to have poor hip, knee, and grip strength, compared to those with the highest selenium levels" - [Abstract]
• Selenium Supplements: Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 7/9/07 - "During the study, 58 participants in the selenium group reported being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, compared with 39 people taking the placebo"
• Selenium - Important Health Benefits from an Overlooked Trace Mineral - Life Extension Magazine, 11/06 - "As scientists continue to discover the many ways in which oxidative stress is related to inflammation and its destructive consequences—from atherosclerosis to prostate, lung, colon, and other cancers—the disease-preventive powers of selenium are likely to receive even greater scrutiny"
• More support that selenomethionine most bioavailable form - Nutra USA, 6/15/06
• Selenium-protein Deficiency Raises Prostate Cancer Risk - Science Daily, 5/23/06 - "Selenium, an essential dietary mineral that can act as an antioxidant when incorporated into proteins, has been shown in many studies to reduce the incidence of cancers -- notably lung, colorectal and prostate"
• Low Selenium Levels Might Raise Odds of Knee Osteoarthritis - Doctor's Guide, 11/21/05 - "low toenail selenium levels correlated positively to increased risk of radiographic knee osteoarthritis"
• Low selenium linked to higher risk of osteoarthritis - Nutra USA, 11/14/05 - "Those with the highest selenium levels faced a 40 per cent lower risk of knee osteoarthritis than those in the lowest-selenium group"
• Selenomethionine More Bioavailable Than Selenite - Natural Products Industry Insider, 4/21/05
• Selenomethionine has superior bioavailability, suggests study - Nutra USA, 4/19/05 - "selenomethionine is twice as bioavailabile as selenium in the form of selenite"
• Getting Serious about Selenium - Life Extension Magazine, 12/04
• Selenium May Lower Colon Cancer Risk - WebMD, 11/16/04 - "participants with the highest blood levels of selenium were 34% less likely to develop a new adenoma compared with those with the lowest selenium blood levels"
• Selenium and Prostate Cancer - Physician's Weekly, 6/14/04 - "higher levels of selenium may slow prostate cancer tumor progression"
• When Good Antioxidants Are Bad - WebMD, 6/14/04
• Antioxidant Enzyme Containing Selenium, A Major Dietary Supplement, Could Promote Type 2 Diabetes - Science Daily, 6/11/04
• Selenium Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 1/04
• Selenium Supplements May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk in Some - WebMD, 6/16/03 - "a certain version of the gene was associated with a higher breast cancer risk. That same gene was also less responsive to selenium stimulation ... that means people with this genetic variation may benefit from selenium supplements but they require a higher dose to achieve selenium's protective effect against cancer"
• Selenium May Lower Risk Of Esophageal Cancer In People With Barrett's Esophagus - Intelihealth, 5/21/03 - "Higher serum selenium levels appear to be associated with a reduced risk of progression toward esophageal cancer among people with Barrett's esophagus"
• Selenium May Inhibit Progression Toward Esophageal Cancer In Patients With Barrett's Esophagus - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/03
• Selenium Reduces Risk of Some Cancers: FDA Approves Claim - New Hope Natural Media, 4/17/03 - "Companies that manufacture selenium supplements will now be permitted by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to claim that selenium supplements may reduce the risk of some cancers, according to a statement by the FDA. Although the FDA does not permit manufacturers to list specific types of cancer in the health claim, studies suggest selenium supplementation may reduce the risk of colon, prostate, lung, liver and esophageal cancers"
• Selenium May Fight Prostate Damage - WebMD, 2/4/03 - "About 80% of the prostate cells in dogs fed a normal diet had extensive DNA damage compared with only about 57% in the selenium-treated dogs ... dogs fed the enriched diet also had a twofold increase in the number of prostate cells that had undergone a process that removes damaged cells, called apoptosis, which is associated with a lower risk of cancer"
• Mineral [selenium] Cuts Bladder Cancer in Smokers - WebMD, 11/1/02
• High Selenium Consumption May Protect Ex-Smokers From Bladder Cancer - Intelihealth, 10/31/02
• Few Vitamins Effectively Prevent or Reverse Skin Damage - Medscape, 3/02 - "Recent animal studies have found that when selenium is taken orally or through the skin in the form of L-selenomethionine, it provided protection against both everyday and excessive UV damage"
• Staying Young Forever, Putting new research findings into practice - Life Extension Foundation, 12/99
• Intake Of Apples And Selenuim Affects Incidence Of Asthma - Intelihealth, 12/13/01 - "Eating at least two or more apples per week and a higher intake of the essential metal selenium can protect against asthma in adults, according to British researchers ... They reported on a population-based, case-control study to determine whether asthma is less common and less severe in adults who consume more dietary antioxidants"
• Low Selenium Levels Linked With Increased Prostate Cancer Risk - Intelihealth, 12/6/01
• Selenium May Help Prevent Prostate Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 11/30/01 - "Men with low blood levels of selenium -- a trace element supplied in certain foods and supplements -- are four to five times more likely to contract prostate cancer ... the researchers concluded that the results support the hypothesis that supplemental selenium may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Because selenium in blood decreases with patient age, supplementation may be beneficial to older men"
• Selenium Supplementation May Benefit Patients With Thyroiditis - Doctor's Guide, 6/22/01
• Selenium: New entry in fight against prostate cancer - CNN, 6/16/99
• Selenium Mimics Insulin - Nutrition Science News, 6/01
• Essential Nutrients for Endurance Athletes - Nutrition Science News, 5/99
• Selenium: Antioxidant & Cancer Quencher - Nutrition Science News, 3/99
• Can Selenium Stop Prostate Cancer? - Nutrition Science News, 3/99
• Study: Mineral selenium cuts risk of prostate cancer - CNN, 8/22/98
• Selenium-Based Antihypertensive May Lead To New Family Of Therapeutic Agents - Doctor's Guide, 11/11/97 - "The biochemistry and pharmacology of selenium are subjects of intense current interest because of evidence that a deficiency of the trace nutrient may play a role in diseases as diverse as cancer, heart disease, arthritis and AIDS. Selenium is an antioxidant involved in many important enzyme processes"
• Selenium Is Found to Reduce Cancer Mortality by 50 Percent - Life Extension Magazine, 6/97
• Selenium may lower several cancer risks - CNN, 12/24/96

Abstracts:

• Effects of Selenium Supplements on Cancer Prevention: Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - Nutr Cancer. 2011 Oct 17 - "We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library in July 2009. Of the 461 articles searched, 8 articles on 9 RCTs, which included 152,538 total participants, 32,110 in antioxidant supplement groups, and 120,428 in placebo groups, were included. In a random-effects meta-analysis of all 9 RCTs, selenium supplementation alone was found to have an overall preventive effect on cancer incidence [relative risk (RR) = 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58-0.99]. Among subgroup meta-analyses, the preventive effect of selenium supplementation alone on cancer was apparently observed in populations with a low baseline serum selenium level (<125.6 ng/mL) (RR = 0.64; 95% CI = 0.53 to 0.78; I(2) = 45.5%; n = 7) and in high-risk populations for cancer (RR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.58 to 0.80; I(2) = 41.5%; n = 8). The meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials indicates that there is possible evidence to support the use of selenium supplements alone for cancer prevention in the low baseline serum selenium level population and in the high-risk population for cancer"
• Vitamin E and the risk of prostate cancer: the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) - JAMA. 2011 Oct 12;306(14):1549-56 - "Oral selenium (200 μg/d from L-selenomethionine) with matched vitamin E placebo, vitamin E (400 IU/d of all rac-α-tocopheryl acetate) with matched selenium placebo, both agents, or both matched placebos for a planned follow-up of a minimum of 7 and maximum of 12 years ... This report includes 54,464 additional person-years of follow-up and 521 additional cases of prostate cancer since the primary report. Compared with the placebo (referent group) in which 529 men developed prostate cancer, 620 men in the vitamin E group developed prostate cancer (hazard ratio [HR], 1.17; 99% CI, 1.004-1.36, P = .008); as did 575 in the selenium group (HR, 1.09; 99% CI, 0.93-1.27; P = .18), and 555 in the selenium plus vitamin E group (HR, 1.05; 99% CI, 0.89-1.22, P = .46). Compared with placebo, the absolute increase in risk of prostate cancer per 1000 person-years was 1.6 for vitamin E, 0.8 for selenium, and 0.4 for the combination" - Note:  The study used rac-α-tocopheryl acetate.  See my vitamin E page for several articles regarding taking only one of the  eight forms of vitamin E.  See Jarrow FamilE (contains all eight members of the vitamin E family, includes Tocomin) at iHerb.
• Mouse Prostate Proteomes Are Differentially Altered by Supranutritional Intake of Four Selenium Compounds - Nutr Cancer. 2011 May 24:1 - "We have shown that, in contrast to selenomethionine (SeMet) or selenite, methylseleninic acid (MSeA) and Se-methylselenocysteine (MSeC) exert prostate cancer (PCa) inhibitory effect in preclinical models"
• Adaptive dysfunction of selenoproteins from the perspective of the triage theory: why modest selenium deficiency may increase risk of diseases of aging - FASEB J. 2011 Mar 14 - "The triage theory proposes that modest deficiency of any vitamin or mineral (V/M) could increase age-related diseases. V/M-dependent proteins required for short-term survival and/or reproduction (i.e., "essential") are predicted to be protected on V/M deficiency over other "nonessential" V/M-dependent proteins needed only for long-term health. The result is accumulation of insidious damage, increasing disease risk. We successfully tested the theory against published evidence on vitamin K. Here, we review about half of the 25 known mammalian selenoproteins; all of those with mouse knockout or human mutant phenotypes that could be used as criteria for a classification of essential or nonessential. Five selenoproteins (Gpx4, Txnrd1, Txnrd2, Dio3, and Sepp1) were classified as essential and 7 (Gpx1, Gpx 2, Gpx 3, Dio1, Dio2, Msrb1, and SelN) nonessential. On modest selenium (Se) deficiency, nonessential selenoprotein activities and concentrations are preferentially lost, with one exception (Dio1 in the thyroid, which we predict is conditionally essential). Mechanisms include the requirement of a special form of tRNA sensitive to Se deficiency for translation of nonessential selenoprotein mRNAs except Dio1. The same set of age-related diseases and conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and immune dysfunction, are prospectively associated with modest Se deficiency and also with genetic dysfunction of nonessential selenoproteins, suggesting that Se deficiency could be a causal factor, a possibility strengthened by mechanistic evidence. Modest Se deficiency is common in many parts of the world; optimal intake could prevent future disease"
• Selenium and the Thyroid: A Close-Knit Connection - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Sep 1 - "Maintenance of "selenostasis" via optimal intake not only aids preservation of general health but also contributes substantially to the prevention of thyroid disease"
• Selenium and Bladder Cancer Risk: a Meta-analysis - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010 Aug 31 - "Overall, the risk of bladder cancer was inversely associated with elevated levels of selenium according to a random-effects model (mOR = 0.61; 95% CI, 0.42-0.87). The mORs were 0.95 (95% CI, 0.69-1.27) and 0.55 (95% CI, 0.32-0.95) among men and women, respectively"
• Relationship between selenium and breast cancer: a case-control study in the Klang Valley - Singapore Med J. 2009 Mar;50(3):265-9 - "Breast cancer risk decreased with the increasing quartiles of selenium intake, with odds ratios (95 percent confidence interval) of 2.95 (1.22-7.12), 2.17 (1.13-4.19) and 1.71 (0.84-3.52), respectively. However, the association diminished after adjustment for confounding factors ... it is essential for Malaysian women to achieve a good selenium status by consuming good food sources of selenium as a chemopreventive agent"
• Serum Antioxidants and Skin Cancer Risk: An 8-Year Community-Based Follow-up Study - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009 Mar 31 - "basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin ... Although there were no associations between baseline serum carotenoids or alpha-tocopherol concentrations and incidence of BCC or SCC, baseline serum selenium concentrations showed strong inverse associations with both BCC and SCC tumor incidence. Compared with participants with lowest selenium concentrations at baseline (0.4-1.0 micromol/L), those with the highest serum selenium concentrations (1.3-2.8 micromol/L) had a decreased incidence of BCC tumors (multivariate relative risk, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.86; Ptrend = 0.02) and SCC tumors (multivariate relative risk, 0.36; 95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.82; Ptrend = 0.02)"
• Differential Effects of Selenium on Benign and Malignant Prostate Epithelial Cells: Stimulation of LNCaP Cell Growth by Noncytotoxic, Low Selenite Concentrations - Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(2):251-64 - "Thus, noncytotoxic selenite concentrations did not induce growth inhibition or apoptosis selectively in prostate cancer cells. Growth stimulation of LNCaP cells by low concentrations suggests the possibility of adverse effects of selenium supplementation on hormone sensitive prostate cancer, whereas inhibition of PC-3 cell proliferation at noncytotoxic concentrations suggests potential benefit of selenium in advanced prostate cancer"
• Selenium, folate, and colon cancer - Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(2):165-78 - "High levels of serum selenium and reported folate jointly were associated with a substantially reduced risk of colon cancer"
• Serum selenium and serum lipids in US adults - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Aug;88(2):416-23 - "Elevated serum selenium was associated with elevated serum concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triacylglycerols, apo B, and apo A-I among US adults, a selenium-replete population"
• Both inorganic and organic selenium supplements can decrease brain monoamine oxidase B enzyme activity in adult rats - Br J Nutr. 2008 Feb 28;:1-6 - "tocopherol group (T group, positive control), selenite group (SE group, representing the inorganic Se group) and seleno-yeast group (SY group, representing the organic Se group) ... MAO-B activity showed a significant decrease in the T, SE and SY groups in rat brains but no significant change could be noted in the rat livers. In conclusion, the present study indicates that inorganic or organic Se supplementation can decrease the brain MAO-B enzyme activity in adult rats and can be accomplished by the effect of the Se antioxidation capability"
• Serum Selenium Levels and All-Cause, Cancer, and Cardiovascular Mortality Among US Adults - Arch Intern Med. 2008 Feb 25;168(4):404-10 - "we found a nonlinear association between serum selenium levels and all-cause and cancer mortality. Increasing serum selenium levels were associated with decreased mortality up to 130 ng/mL. Our study, however, raises the concern that higher serum selenium levels may be associated with increased mortality"
• Association of low plasma selenium concentrations with poor muscle strength in older community-dwelling adults: the InCHIANTI Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):347-52 - "participants in the lowest versus the highest quartile of plasma selenium were at higher risk of poor hip strength [odds ratio (OR): 1.69; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.83; P = 0.04, P for linear trend = 0.04], knee strength (OR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.18, 3.19; P = 0.009, P for linear trend = 0.01), and grip strength (OR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.19, 3.16; P = 0.008, P for linear trend = 0.08)"
• Effects of Long-Term Selenium Supplementation on the Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Trial - Ann Intern Med. 2007 Jul 9 - "During an average follow-up of 7.7 years (SD, 2.7), type 2 diabetes developed in 58 selenium recipients and 39 placebo recipients (incidence, 12.6 cases per 1000 person-years vs. 8.4 cases per 1000 person-years, respectively; hazard ratio, 1.55"
• Serum selenium and risk of prostate cancer--a nested case-control study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan;85(1):209-17 - "higher serum selenium was associated with lower risks in men reporting a high (more than the median: 28.0 IU/d) vitamin E intake"
• Selenium is inversely associated with bladder cancer risk: A report from the Belgian case-control study on bladder cancer - Int J Urol. 2006 Sep;13(9):1180-4 - "This case-control study suggests an inverse association between serum selenium concentration and bladder cancer risk"
• Selenium supplementation and colorectal adenomas: An analysis of the nutritional prevention of cancer trial - Int J Cancer. 2005 Oct 10 - "In addition to being associated with a reduced risk of incident CRC [colorectal cancers], selenium supplementation was associated with a significantly reduced risk of prevalent adenomas, but only among subjects with either a low baseline selenium level or among current smokers"
• Effectiveness of selenium supplements in a low-selenium area of China - Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Apr;81(4):829-34 - "Selenium as selenomethionine had nearly twice the bioavailability of selenium as selenite"
• Selenium as an element in the treatment of ovarian cancer in women receiving chemotherapy - Gynecol Oncol. 2004 May;93(2):320-327 - "we conclude that there are beneficial effects caused by ingesting selenium, as a supportive element in chemotherapy"
• Selenium in the Immune System - J. Nutr. 133:1457S-1459S, May 2003 - "Selenium as an essential component of selenocysteine-containing protein is involved in most aspects of cell biochemistry and function. As such, there is much potential for selenium to influence the immune system"
• Decreased incidence of prostate cancer with selenium supplementation: results of a double-blind cancer prevention trial - Br J Urol. 1998 May;81(5):730-4
• Effects of selenium supplementation for cancer prevention in patients with carcinoma of the skin. A randomized controlled trial. Nutritional Prevention of Cancer Study Group - JAMA. 1996 Dec 25;276(24):1957-63
• Plasma selenium concentration predicts the prevalence of colorectal adenomatous polyps - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 1993 Jan-Feb;2(1):41-6

Other possible selenium suppliers:

Related Searches:

• Doctor's Guide search of selenium
• Doctor's Guide (2) search of selenium
• Intelihealth search of selenium
• Life Extension Foundation search
• Medline search of selenium
• Medscape search of selenium
• The Natural Pharmacist search of selenium
• Nutrition Science News search
• WebMD search of selenium

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