Dr Cousens' Description:
Selenium is an extremely important mineral as an antioxidant in the system.
It plays an important role in the glutathione antioxidant system.
Selenium is a key part of the enzyme glutathione-peroxidase, a very
important antioxidant that protects cell membranes from the free radical
oxidation where most free radical damages tend to occur. Selenium
is also needed for a variety of functions, including development and
protection of the lens of the human eye and protection against cataracts.
Glutathione-peroxidase helps protect the lens against free radical damage.
Importantly, glutathione-peroxidase helps to detoxify thoughts.
Vitamin E and selenium work synergistically together for supporting
normal growth and fertility. They work together to support tissue
elasticity by preventing the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Selenium protects against many chronic diseases, including heart disease.
It seems that in areas where selenium intake is low, the death rates
from high blood pressure and stroke are about 300 percent higher than
in high-selenium areas. Some research has shown that high blood pressure
in animals can be treated with selenium.
Selenium is one of the most important elements in protecting against
cancer. Research has shown, for example, that people who are given
adequate levels of selenium are less likely to develop cancer than those
who receive a placebo.24 Some claim that cancer rates in general may be
reduced as much as 70 percent by taking 200 mcg of selenium per day.
The National Cancer Institute agrees with this projection.25 Japanese
women who consume 250–350 mg of selenium have 20 percent of the
breast cancer rate as U.S. women. One Arizona study showed a group
who took 200 mg/day for seven years had 42 percent less cancer than the
control group.26 It binds with the unstable molecules in our cells and
protects against further damage that can create cancer.
Selenium is also associated with improved immunity. Research in
Brussels shows that taking 100 micrograms of selenium a day improves
overall immune system by 80 percent.27
Muscles do contain some traces of selenium, as do the liver and kidneys.
The body only uses about 3 millionths of an ounce. Excess selenium
can cause hair loss, dermatitis, and muscle weakness. Deficiency of selenium
contributes to aging and higher rates of cancer, high blood pressure,
and infertility. A selenium deficiency has been associated with
anemia, age spots, liver spots, fatigue, muscle weakness, cystic fibrosis,
irregular heartbeat, Parkinson’s, high infant mortality, and SIDS (sudden
infant death syndrome). The biggest problem we face with getting
enough selenium is that there is very little selenium in North American
soils; therefore, we need to supplement with angstrom-size selenium.
Food sources of selenium include bee pollen, especially from Nebraska
and North and South Dakota, Himalayan salt, broccoli, tomatoes, onions,
asparagus, nuts, and whole grains grown on high-selenium soils.
Angstrom-size selenium may be the most consistent source.
