Selen is a necessary nutrient named after the Greek moon goddess – crucial for health. It can assist prevent and treat cancer

Selenium is a nutrient that plays a Crucial role in human healthIn the case of contribution to thyroid and immune function, the DNA repair in addition to cardiovascular and cognitive health.

It acts as An antioxidant – Substances that protect cells from unstable molecules that may damage DNA, proteins and cell membranes. It may even protect against cancer.

Selen is significant Trace element Found in living organisms, soil and plants, and your body only needs a small amount of it to work. The really useful dietary allowance for selenium is in adults 55 micrograms per dayWith an upper limit of 400 micrograms. In comparison, adults need between 900 and 10,000 micrograms on daily basis Copper, one other trace elementAnd in between 8,000 to 40,000 micrograms of the trace element zinc.

A surplus or an absence of selenium can have significant health consequences. In my work as Pharmaceutical science researcherMy colleagues and I examine the potential use of selenium to extend the effectiveness of chemotherapy in cancer treatment.

A dose of selenium

Selen first discovered in 1817 Chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius analyzed an impurity in a number of sulfuric acid that was produced in a factory in Sweden. Berzelius initially believed the fabric the element, but he finally realized that it was actually an unknown substance at the moment. He called the mineral afterwards SeleneThe Greek goddess of the moon, due to its similarity Tellurwhich had been named after the Roman goddess of the earth.

Selenium exists in each organic and inorganic forms. Organic compounds Contain carbon atoms and are typically derived from living organisms Inorganic compounds Do not have carbon atoms and usually come from non -living sources. Your cells chemically Convert between these forms perform different physiological functions.

Selenium deficiency is a significant health problemEspecially in regions with selenium floors corresponding to parts of China, Africa and Europe. Low selenium mirrors are connected Keshan diseasea fatal heart disease, and Kashin Beck diseasewhich affects joints and bones. The defect also weakens immune function and increases susceptibility to infections.

Consuming an excessive amount of selenium can also be an issue. Extension or excess environmental pollution can result in this Selenosis, a disease In symptoms corresponding to brittle hair and nails, digestive problems, rashes and neurological symptoms corresponding to irritability and tiredness. In severe cases, selentoxicity can result in organ failure and death.

Selenium has a narrow one Therapeutic windowThis is the dosage area that gives secure and effective treatment with minimal harmful uncomfortable side effects. For example, selenium can either increase or reduce the body Immune functionDepending on the dose. Adequate selenium values Strengthen your immune cells' Ability to combat infections and tumors, while excessive selenium intake can Suppress immune responses by damage to immunogeways.

Selen and cancer prevention

Selenium can have the potential to treat and stop cancer.

Scientists have examined an extended selenium role in cancer prevention. Initially suspected that a carcinogen was, later studies were determined Protective effects against liver damage. In the Nineteen Sixties. Researchers proposed This selenium could possibly be Is used to stop cancerAn idea that received further traction within the nineties.

Mixed results were achieved in large -scale clinical studies. The Selen- and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Prevention Study Was a study with over 35,500 men who were carried out from 2001 to 2004. They found that the each day intake of selenium didn’t reduce the chance of prostate cancer and may even Increase the chance of prostate cancer For men with already high selenium mirrors.

Results of a study from 1983 to 1996, the one Nutrition of cancer studiesproposed selenium may Protection against prostate and other sorts of cancer. But researchers also observed a Increased incidence of non -melanoma -skin cancer Among the participants.

These contradictory results could be attributed to the several types of the selens in every test tested and to differences within the selenium mirrors of the essential lines among the many participants. Other studies have shown that selenium-contaminated water was in a community of Italy associated with an increased risk of melanoma.

Selen and cancer treatment

Selenium may have the potential to stop cancer from spreading the spread of cancer.

My research focuses on the potential of using selenium to complement chemotherapy for cancer treatment. Selen compounds corresponding to methylselenic acid or MSA and Seleno-L-Methionine or SLM are promising in terms of aiming proteins that promote the progression and treatment resistance of the tumor. Studies from my team and I even have found that MSA can Modulate crucial biochemical ways in reference to kidney cancer by reducing proteins that influence tumor growth and immune instructions. We have also observed that SLM Mai May May Slow growth of the kidney tumor for mice without toxic uncomfortable side effects.

In a clinical phase -1 study we found that much more essential Combining SLM with the chemotherapy drug Axitinib Was effective within the treatment of metastatic kidney cancer in patients with minimal uncomfortable side effects. Of the 27 patients we treated, greater than half shrank their tumors with a median overall survival of just about 20 months. These results suggest that selenium can have a synergistic influence on chemotherapy by making it more practical.

Further studies on how selenium can overcome the treatment resistance and which doses are optimal will illustrate its potential as a practical addition to cancer treatment.

Meet the best balance

Whether as an immune amplifier or potential treatment for diseases, the importance of selenium for human health is undeniable.

Eat Selenium -rich foods – How Brazil nuts, seafood, whole grains and eggs can assist to keep up an optimal nutrient content. In regions with selenium deficiency floors, an addition to medical supervision could also be obligatory.

The fantastic line between advantages and damage underlines the importance of balanced intake and personalized approaches to selenium complement. In the course of research, I imagine that Selens becomes a various role in health.