Does selenium prevent cancer? It may depend on which form people take

American Chemical Society ^ | March 16, 2011 | Unknown

[decimon]

Scientists are reporting that the controversy surrounding whether selenium can fight cancer in humans might come down to which form of the essential micronutrient people take. It turns out that not all "seleniums" are the same — the researchers found that one type of selenium supplement may produce a possible cancer-preventing substance more efficiently than another form of selenium in human cancer cells. Their study appears in the ACS' journal Biochemistry.

Hugh Harris and colleagues note that although the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer clinical trial showed that selenium reduced the risk of cancer, a later study called the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial did not show a benefit. A major difference between the trials was the form of selenium that was used. To find out whether different types of selenium have different chemopreventive properties, the researchers studied how two forms—SeMet and MeSeCys—are processed in human lung cancer cells.

The researchers found that MeSeCys killed more lung cancer cells than SeMet did. Also, lung cancer cells treated with MeSeCys processed the selenium differently than than cells treated with SeMet. They say that these findings could explain why studies on the health benefits of selenium sometimes have conflicting results.

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The authors acknowledge funding from the Australian Research Council.

[decimon]

The Cystine is the naturally occuring form. Grape seed extract is the easiest way to supplement it.

A web search indicates that selenium is not in grape seed extract.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

In the Sundown you get it with the grape seed xtra. Spring Valley lables it as grape seed complex with Resveratrol.

Any grape product will/should have selenium in it along with vitamins A, C, B6 and folate in addition to essential minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium. Grapes contain flavonoids that are very powerful antioxidants, which can reduce the damage caused by free radicals and slacken ageing.

[Taffini]

Selenium/cancer bump

[dila813]

I think you are right, but I don’t think it is very much at all. Don’t know if it is the right type either.

Can’t find detailed amino acid breakdowns, which is what you need in this case.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Further research shows both are naturally occuring.

Garlic & Broccolli being good sources of SeMethylSelenocysteine.

[Banjos1]

Although I understand these forms of selenium are for medical use....does anyone have any information on the OTC forms sold as nutritional supplements: (1)selenium yeast & (2)selenium from amino acid complex? Where do these products fit into these two types of medical grade selenium?

[decimon]

...does anyone have any information on the OTC forms sold as nutritional supplements:...

I don't. I just post this for what information it may impart.