Low selenium tied to throat, stomach cancers

Getting enough selenium in your diet could help protect you from cancer of the esophagus. People with the highest levels of this antioxidant mineral were at the lowest risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, according to a study in the journal Gastroenterology. The incidences of these cancers have risen in the US and Europe during the past decades. The researchers looked at data from the Netherlands Cohort Study, which followed 120,852 men and women 55 to 69 years old for 16 years. They compared selenium levels in 64 patients who developed ESCC during follow-up; 112 EAC patients; 114 GCA patients; and 2,072 cancer-free controls. All had provided toenail clippings at the study's outset; the selenium content of a person's nails is considered to be an accurate measurement of their levels of the mineral over the previous year. The higher a person's selenium levels, the researchers found, the lower their likelihood of developing ESCC. There was also a relationship between selenium intake and EAC risk in people with lower intakes of several antioxidant nutrients.

Bonnie - selenium is a very important trace nutrient, however, it should never be taken as a supplement without the supervision of a licensed health professional.