Press release

New research reveals need for selenium supplements

The amount of selenium provided by the average diet is enough to keep you alive and functioning but it appears to be too little to protect against insidious diseases like heart ailments and cancer, according to two American scientists.

What is considered a normal healthy diet is certainly able to keep us alive and functioning but may very fail when it comes to protecting us properly against disease. This somewhat unexpected theory has been presented by Joyce McCann, PhD, and Bruce Ames, PhD, from the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI). The two researchers have looked at selenium, a trace element that is essential for reproduction, the immune system, and many other functions. The selenium obtained from diet is distributed in the body in a subtle way that favors the most essential functions first.

Reproduction is at the top of the list

One of the functions that the human body regards as top-priority is the ability to reproduce. For that reason alone it “earmarks” the selenium that is required to undertake this task, pushing other selenium-dependent functions in the background. Some of the downgraded functions include defense mechanisms that protect against insidious diseases. To be more specific, nature puts our ability to reproduce at the top of the list and finds it less important that we are able to live longer.

Proteins “tattle”

McCann and Ames have analyzed hundreds of published science articles about selenium before presenting their hypothesis, and they have looked at 12 selenium-dependent proteins to support the whole idea. They have categorized these proteins as either “essential” or “non-essential” and carefully observed how moderate selenium deficiency minimized the presence as well as the activity of the non-essential proteins. In other words, several of the selenium-dependent proteins that are necessary for disease protection are partially or completely deactivated by what is considered “normal selenium intake”.

Source:

McCann JC, Ames BN. Adaptive dysfunction of selenoproteins from the perspective of the triage theory: why modest selenium deficiency may increase risk of diseases of aging. FASEB Journal 2011. E-Pub ahead of print.

What is selenium?

Selenium is an essential nutrient that we get from our diet, namely from sources such as fish, nuts, and whole-grain. The selenium content in modern diets is lower than what it used to be for reasons like industrial farming that depletes the natural selenium content in agricultural soil. As selenium is necessary for normal functioning of at least 20-25 different proteins (selenoproteins) that regulate fertility and reproduction, DNA protection, and many other things, getting too little of this vital nutrient may have implications. According to some experts, reduced selenium status may lead to impaired defense against cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc.

A convenient way to increase your selenium intake is to use products like Bio-Selenium + Zinc or SelenoPrecise, both of which contain the patented Danish selenium yeast (SelenoPrecise®). This particular yeast contains 30 different organic selenium species and can document that 88.7% of its selenium content is absorbed in the body.