Experts report that one of the benefits of selenium intake might include a lower risk of bladder cancer symptoms, most especially for women. Selenium is a trace mineral that comes from plant foods and meats of animals that grazed on grain or plants in selenium rich soil. It's also found in abundance in Brazil nuts. Adults with low blood levels of the mineral selenium are more likely to develop bladder cancer - the lower the level the higher your risk.
In the study, the researchers combined information from seven previously published works to do their own meta analysis. They examined selenium levels taken from blood samples and toenail clippings and determined each subject's risk of developing bladder cancer. Both U.S. and European (Belgium, Finland and the Netherlands) subjects were included in the analysis.
The researchers found a 39% decrease in bladder cancer for those with the highest levels of selenium in the blood. The protective benefit was seen mostly in women, and the team believes this might be due to differences in how men and women's bodies break down and remove the mineral.
More work is needed before a recommendation of raising selenium intake is made. Researchers will be looking at the dose response relationship so that recommended daily intakes can be set. There also may be subsets of the general population who are more in need of selenium supplementation - this too will be identified in future studies.
Currently the recommended daily allowance for selenium is 55 micrograms, and the National Institutes of Health believes most American diets supply enough of this mineral, and that no one should exceed 400 micrograms of selenium daily.
In the United States, most of us get our selenium from meats and bread sources. Experts maintain that deficiency is rare in the U.S., but is seen in other nations, like China and New Zealand, where the soil naturally has less selenium. If you're worried about your own levels of this mineral, talk to your doctor before you take any supplement - too much selenium can be bad for you.
Our bodies use selenium to make selenoproteins that work as antioxidants in the body to prevent cellular damage. There are studies that suggest selenium can offer protection against some cancers, but clinical trials on selenium supplements have brought conflicting results.
In nature, the selenium content of the soil determines the selenium content of the plants grown in it or the animals that graze upon it. Experts know that the soil in the high plains of northern Nebraska and the Dakotas have very high levels of selenium. People who live in these areas generally have high levels of selenium in their blood.
Besides those tasty Brazil nuts, some other all natural sources of selenium include:
- Tuna
- Beef
- Cod
- Turkey, light meat
- Chicken breast, meat only
- Enriched noodles, macaroni
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Oatmeal, instant
- Rice, white, enriched, long grain, brown
- Bread, white or whole wheat
- Cheddar cheese
While you wait for more research on the benefits of selenium with regards to preventing bladder cancer symptoms, consider the growing body of evidence that eating a balanced diet AND making lifestyle choices that reduce your risk for disease are your best bets for protecting your body from some pretty serious health problems... today and in the future.
FREE Bonus Secret Health Reports - For a limited time you can grab 5 FREE essential health reports from Daily Health Bulletin and click the link now to discover more about bladder cancer symptoms and other effective methods that help with prevention and treatment.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kirsten_Whittaker
In the study, the researchers combined information from seven previously published works to do their own meta analysis. They examined selenium levels taken from blood samples and toenail clippings and determined each subject's risk of developing bladder cancer. Both U.S. and European (Belgium, Finland and the Netherlands) subjects were included in the analysis.
The researchers found a 39% decrease in bladder cancer for those with the highest levels of selenium in the blood. The protective benefit was seen mostly in women, and the team believes this might be due to differences in how men and women's bodies break down and remove the mineral.
More work is needed before a recommendation of raising selenium intake is made. Researchers will be looking at the dose response relationship so that recommended daily intakes can be set. There also may be subsets of the general population who are more in need of selenium supplementation - this too will be identified in future studies.
Currently the recommended daily allowance for selenium is 55 micrograms, and the National Institutes of Health believes most American diets supply enough of this mineral, and that no one should exceed 400 micrograms of selenium daily.
In the United States, most of us get our selenium from meats and bread sources. Experts maintain that deficiency is rare in the U.S., but is seen in other nations, like China and New Zealand, where the soil naturally has less selenium. If you're worried about your own levels of this mineral, talk to your doctor before you take any supplement - too much selenium can be bad for you.
Our bodies use selenium to make selenoproteins that work as antioxidants in the body to prevent cellular damage. There are studies that suggest selenium can offer protection against some cancers, but clinical trials on selenium supplements have brought conflicting results.
In nature, the selenium content of the soil determines the selenium content of the plants grown in it or the animals that graze upon it. Experts know that the soil in the high plains of northern Nebraska and the Dakotas have very high levels of selenium. People who live in these areas generally have high levels of selenium in their blood.
Besides those tasty Brazil nuts, some other all natural sources of selenium include:
- Tuna
- Beef
- Cod
- Turkey, light meat
- Chicken breast, meat only
- Enriched noodles, macaroni
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Oatmeal, instant
- Rice, white, enriched, long grain, brown
- Bread, white or whole wheat
- Cheddar cheese
While you wait for more research on the benefits of selenium with regards to preventing bladder cancer symptoms, consider the growing body of evidence that eating a balanced diet AND making lifestyle choices that reduce your risk for disease are your best bets for protecting your body from some pretty serious health problems... today and in the future.
FREE Bonus Secret Health Reports - For a limited time you can grab 5 FREE essential health reports from Daily Health Bulletin and click the link now to discover more about bladder cancer symptoms and other effective methods that help with prevention and treatment.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kirsten_Whittaker