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PREVENTION AGENTS
Selenium
What is it? Selenium is an essential nonmetallic trace element. L-selenomethionine is an organic form of selenium found in grains, meat, yeast, and certain vegetables and that has been used in cancer prevention clinical trials. Studies suggest that people with low selenium levels have a greater risk of developing or dying from cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, rectum, lung, and prostate. How does it work? L-Selenomethionine accumulates in the body because it is incorporated into proteins in place of the amino acid methionine. It is stored in the body and is slowly released. The body uses the nutrient selenium provided by l-selenomethionine to make antioxidant proteins, such as glutathione peroxidase and thioredexin reductase, which protect against cancer-causing free radicals. A byproduct of l-selenomethionine, methylselenol, is probably the anti-cancer form of selenium. What do the data show? A five-to-nine year safety and efficacy study tested whether selenized yeast, which is about 85 percent selenomethionine, could prevent nonmelanoma skin cancer. The study found that selenized yeast significantly reduced all cancer deaths and decreased rates of lung, prostate, and colorectal cancer. But an expert panel determined that the content, stability, and purity of selenized yeast was too variable among batches, and recommended that l-selenomethionine be used in the large scale, multi-year Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). SELECT, launched in 2001, is the first study to look at the effects of selenium and vitamin E on the risk of prostate cancer, and to find out if either or both agents prevent prostate cancer. Complementary Names
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