It might be tricky determining exactly what affect selenium supplements have on your body. Selenium is a trace essential mineral found in foods like veggies, meat, fish, butter, garlic, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, raisins and more. One A Day Women’s daily vitamin contains only 29% of the daily value of selenium. And maybe that’s a good thing.
For most women, there appears to be no need to stock up on extra selenium supplements. Doing so may actually increase your cholesterol.
Researchers from the University of Warwick found that too much selenium may raise cholesterol by nearly 10%. Dr. Saverio Stranges, who led the research, said that high selenium levels weren’t exclusively caused by people taking supplements, yet the study results are a cause of concern since selenium dietary supplement usage has risen recently in the UK.
Why are people focusing on selenium supplements? There’s a belief that selenium can reduce the risk of cancer. Selenium’s role in cancer prevention is still being researched, and it may be naive to think the mineral can protect you from cancer.
A study from the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer (NPC) suggested that selenium supplementation may lower the risk of prostate cancer among a limited group of men. Yet, selenium didn’t reduce the risk of other cancers like lung, colorectal or basal cell carcinoma. Plus, selenium increased the risk of squamous cell skin carcinoma. However, other studies have suggested that low levels of selenium could be a risk factor for certain cancers. An ongoing study aims to definitively answer the question of selenium’s role in prostate cancer prevention. Visit Medline Plus for more info on selenium research.
It seems the jury is still out on the matter of selenium and cancer prevention. Yet, the new research from University of Warwick researchers shows that selenium may not be the guardian angel you’re looking for.
Do you take selenium supplements?
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