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Selenium
May Guard Against Breast Cancer
(HealthDayNews) -- Selenium may
help guard against breast cancer in people who are genetically
predisposed to the disease.
That's what University of Illinois
at Chicago researchers report in the June 15 issue of Cancer
Research.
Selenium is a trace element found
in foods such as liver, kidneys and certain kinds of nuts.
"For over 20 years, animal
studies have shown that tiny amounts of selenium in the diet can
suppress cancer in several types of organs. The animal data is
very strong, but human data is just emerging," study co-author
Alan Diamond, professor and head of human nutrition, says in a
news release.
It's unclear just how selenium
might help prevent cancer.
"We believe there are certain
proteins in mammalian cells that contain selenium that can mediate
the protective effects, but proving that is difficult," Diamond
says.
In this study, he and fellow researcher
Jun Hu examined the role played in breast cancer by a selenium-containing
protein called glutathione peroxidase, which is selenium-dependent
and acts as an antioxidant.
They did this by looking at a particular
selenium-containing gene that encodes for selenium-containing
proteins.
Using tissue samples, they compared
the genes from 517 people who were cancer-free with the genes
of 79 breast cancer patients.
They found there's a difference
in the frequency of different versions of the genes of the cancer
patients, compared with those without cancer. They also found
those differences have a functional consequence. That suggests
a person with a certain version of the gene may require more selenium
in their diet to get the cancer-prevention benefits.
By identifying what version of
the gene a person has, doctors may someday be able to prescribe
an appropriate amount of selenium to provide protection against
cancer.
More information
Here's where you can learn more
about selenium.
Reference
Source 101
For
more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick
Prevention Resources".
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