Diabetes and Antioxidants

Diabetes Information Network

Diabetes and Antioxidants IV

Selenium

This powerful mineral can reduce the risk of heart disease, several kinds of cancer, control the pain and inflammation of many different diseases including Osteo and Rheumatoid arthritis, protect your liver from being damaged by a wide range of different toxins and can even help restore your gray hair to it’s original youthful color! Certainly, no prescription drug could ever hope to possess so many healthful properties!

But sadly I’m amazed that, despite decades of research, and considerable clinical evidence, our medical system continues to blindly ignore Selenium’s profound therapeutic potential.

When it comes to preventing the number one killer – heart disease – selenium is an important, even key nutrient. Studies have also identified it as a key nutrient in the prevention of many serious diseases including cancer and high blood pressure.

Selenium is a trace mineral (meaning it’s needed in very small quantities) that has several very important effects:

1.       Protects LDL cholesterol from becoming heart-disease plaque

2.      Modulates prostaglandins that act to reduce inflammation

3.      Makes blood platelets slippery which reduces the risk of heart attack

4.      Helps the body neutralize and eliminate toxic heavy metals

Consuming Selenium through your food and supplements is an excellent strategy for reducing your cancer risk. In one study it was found that those individuals whose Selenium and vitamin E levels were below normal had eleven times as much cancer as those who had above average levels of these two vital antioxidants!

You should know that plant foods contain widely varying quantities of Selenium depending on the Selenium content of the soils in which they were cultivated. In China the cancer rate varies from valley to valley depending on the Selenium content of their local crops. The people who live in high Selenium soil areas have the least cancer while those who live in low Selenium areas suffer much higher cancer rates.

Here in the US, the east coast plain states form what is often called the “cancer belt”. That’s because the incidence of cancer is significantly higher in this zone than in other areas of the country. The Pacific Northwestern states also suffer higher cancer rates. It’s no coincidence that these areas also have the lowest levels of Selenium in their soil.

Glutathione is a key antioxidant that’s involved in protecting our livers from a host of toxins. Perhaps you’ve noticed a warning label on your Tylenol or Acetaminophen bottle lately. It warns that people who are alcoholics, have impaired liver function or those who have been consuming an extremely low protein diet should be careful about using Tylenol. The liver creates Glutathione from the proteins we eat so if protein consumption has been limited for several days (which is common with flu patients) the amount of Glutathione in the liver will be reduced and the patient will be unable to detoxify toxic substances such as Acetaminophen. In several cases deaths have been reported.

Unfortunately, Glutathione is destroyed by human stomach acid which means taking Glutathione capsules won’t boost the level of this critical substance in our bodies. Neither will eating foods that contain abundant Glutathione as it’s poorly absorbed. But by taking Selenium supplements we can indirectly boost both the quantity and function of Glutathione. As previously mentioned, the Selenium levels in our foods have declined considerably so taking Selenium supplements appears to be the only way of being sure we take in an adequate amount.

Selenium is safe in limited amounts but highly toxic if you take too much. 50-100mcg is probably safe for most people. Dosages above 200mcg can cause minor problems. Doses above 1,000 mcg should be avoided as they may cause troublesome problems including psychiatric distress. Because of this potential for toxicity, the government of Australia has banned it’s importation. (cattle there who have grazed on land that is especially rich in Selenium have been known to become lame)

Selenium has some additional beneficial effects that should interest diabetics. It increases glucose tolerance and reduces blood sugar levels a bit. Again, carefully monitor your blood sugar before and during Selenium use. And you should always take Selenium along with vitamin E as they work together well. Indeed, several studies have found that both are needed if you wish to reduce your risk of lung, breast, skin and prostate cancer.

And Selenium is clearly critical to a healthy heart. Livestock who are deficient in Selenium tend to develop heart and muscle disorders. (“white muscle disease” in sheep and “mulberry disease” in swine) For some unknown reason a Selenium deficiency seems to weaken all muscles, including those of the heart.

In studies, animals intentionally fed Selenium deficient diets developed abnormal heart rhythms and blood pressure problems. Since the 1960s veterinarians have been using several medicines that combine Selenium and vitamin E to treat degenerative heart disorders in animals. (Drug names: Seletoc and Telsem)

In a Cleveland Clinic Foundation study, it was found that individuals that lived in low Selenium areas were three times more likely to have heart disease than those who lived in high Selenium areas. And research is currently being conducted that looks into how Selenium might help treat high blood pressure (hypertension). The main theory here is that Selenium reduces the level of several prostaglandins that act to boost blood pressure levels. It might also contribute to normal blood pressure levels by helping the body eliminate the toxic heavy metal cadmium.

And if that wasn’t all, cancer patients with particularly low levels of Selenium and vitamin E in their blood has shorter life expectancies as the cancer cells grew and spread more rapidly in their bodies. Selenium also slows tissue aging and can help preserve the elasticity of tissues, particularly the skin.

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