Dr. John's Health Matters
Welcome to Dr. John's Health Matters blog.
The articles posted here are from various sources who are duly acknowledged. I would appreciate being immediately notified, if any copywritten material needs to be removed. This blog is not intended to replace the qualified advice of a licensed health practitioner. Readers should exercise their own judgment. Enjoy, subscribe, participate and tell others :)
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Posts tagged "selenium"
Tuesday, Sep 1st, 2009 ↓Antioxidants Not Associated With Increased Melanoma Risk →
Sept 1. 2009 (Sciencedaily.com)—Antioxidant supplements do not appear to be associated with an increased risk of melanoma, according to a new report.
A recent randomized trial of antioxidants for cancer prevention found that daily supplementation with nutritionally appropriate doses of vitamins C and E, beta carotene, selenium and zinc appeared to increase the risk of melanoma in women four-fold, according to background information in the article. Because an estimated 48 percent to 55 percent of U.S. adults use vitamin or mineral supplements regularly, the potential harmful effects of these nutrients is alarming, the authors note.
Maryam M. Asgari, M.D., M.P.H., of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, and colleagues examined the association between antioxidants and melanoma among 69,671 women and men who were participating in the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) study, designed to examine supplement use and cancer risk. At the beginning of the study, between 2000 and 2002, participants completed a 24-page questionnaire about lifestyle factors, health history, diet, supplement use and other cancer risk factors.
Intake of multivitamins and supplements during the previous 10 years, including selenium and beta carotene, was not associated with melanoma risk in either women or men. The researchers also examined the risk of melanoma associated with long-term use of supplemental beta carotene and selenium at doses comparable to the previous study and found no association.
“Consistent with the present results, case-control studies examining serologic [blood] levels of beta carotene, vitamin E and selenium did not find any association with subsequent risk of melanoma,” the authors write. “Moreover, the Nurses’ Health Study reported no association between intake of vitamins A, C and E and melanoma risk in 162,000 women during more than 1.6 million person-years of follow-up.”
For full article, see link above.
Tags: antioxidant supplement vitamin mineral C e beta carotene selenium zinc cancer risk nutrient melanoma lifestyle multivitamin
Defend Against Disease with Broccoli Juice →
Aug 28, 2009 (NaturalNews.com)— Broccoli is a member of the cauliflower family or a Brassica. It is a diverse super food that is delicious when steamed or can be finely chopped and sprinkled on food for added nutrition. Juicing is a great way to get the most out of this amazing food. By drinking broccoli juice daily, we can prevent disease and transform our health.
Broccoli juice offers a whole array of amazing benefits that help us to enjoy optimum health. It contains glucoraphanin that converts into sulphoraphane, a powerful anticancer agent. It contains isothyocyanate, the chemical that activates our natural cancer inhibiting genes. The sprouted seeds and the broccoli juice help to fight prostate cancer. It contains compounds that help to detox the liver from cancer causing toxins.
With high levels of selenium and fiber, the juice of Broccoli offers protection from stomach and bowel cancer.
Broccoli juice contains compounds that protect cells from ultraviolet light. It helps to increase the production of protective enzymes that protect cells against different aspects of UV damage by working inside the cells. It helps in prevention of skin cancer.
Glucoraphanin present in the broccoli juice promotes antioxidant defenses in the body that help lower blood pressure and harmful inflammation in the heart and arteries.
The phytochemical sulforaphane helps the body defend against H. pylori, a bacteria that causes gastrointestinal problems. Thus, it helps to prevent stomach ulcers and painful bloating.
Broccoli juice contains fibers which help to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal GI tract. It reduces cholesterol levels in the blood. Calcium present in the Broccoli juice promotes healthy bones and helps to burn fat. It decreases the production of cortisol, which is a stress hormone, relating to food cravings and stomach fat.
For full article, see link above.
Tags: prevention disease broccoli juice benefit glucoraphanin sulphoraphane antioxidant anticancer cancer prostate detox liver selenium fiber stomach bowel uv damage skin bacteria gastrointestinal inflammation heart arteries bloating ulcer pain cholesterol blood
Antioxidants pose no cancer danger for skin →
Aug 18, 2009 (Nutraingredients.com)—
Results of the 10-year study with almost 70,000 people found that intakes of multivitamins and supplements, including selenium and beta-carotene, were not associated with melanoma risk.
Concerns over antioxidants and their potential to increase the risk of skin cancer were recently raised following publication of a randomized, primary prevention trial, called the Supplementation in Vitamins and Mineral Antioxidants (Suvimax) study.
Suvimax found that oral daily supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, selenium, and zinc, may increase a woman’s skin cancer risk.
New findings, just published in the August issue of Archives of Dermatology, challenge the Suvimax findings, however.
“These data suggest no association between self-reported multivitamin use and supplemental selenium and beta carotene use similar to doses used in the Suvimax study and melanoma risk,” wrote the researchers, led by Maryam Asgari from Kaiser Permanente Northern California.
“Strengths of this investigation include its prospective design, its large cohort size (about 450 cases), and the availability of baseline information on major potential confounding factors.
“The results of the Suvimax study should be interpreted with caution,” they add.
For full article, see link above.
Supplements of antioxidant vitamins and minerals are not associated with an increased risk of skin cancer, despite reports to the contrary, says a new study.
Tags: antioxidant cancer risk supplement multi-vitamin vitamin melanoma selenium beta-carotene
Fortified broccoli, tomato powders show anti-prostate cancer power →
Aug 6, 2009 (Foodnavigator.com)—Biofortification of broccoli and tomatoes may lead to increased levels of potentially anti-cancer compounds, according to results of an American study.
When tested in rats, broccoli and tomato powder with enhanced bioactive contents was found to promote the activity of enzymes linked to detoxification, according to findings published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Results also showed that levels of tomato’s and broccoli’s main active compounds, such as lycopene, indole glucosinolates, or selenium, were raised in the body tissues of the animals.
“These encouraging findings suggest that bioactive-enriched vegetables should be tested for cancer prevention,” wrote John Erdman, Jr. and his co-workers from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The health benefits of broccoli and tomatoes, particularly linked to their content of the indole-based compound indole-3-carbinol, and the carotenoid lycopene.
“Many studies have evaluated the cancer -preventive potential of individual bioactives from tomatoes and broccoli, but few have examined them within the context of a whole food,” explained the researchers.
For full article see link above.
Tags: broccoli tomatoes cancer prevention enzyme bioactive biofortification lycopene indole glucosinolate selenium nutrition diet food
Diet May Reduce Risk Of Prostate Cancer →
June 4, 2009 (ScienceDaily.com) — A new review published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics assessed whether certain modifications in diet have a beneficial effect on the prevention of prostate cancer. Results suggest that a diet low in fat and red meat and high in fruits and vegetables is beneficial in preventing and treating prostate cancer.
Robert W.-L. Ma and K. Chapman conducted an evidence-based review of dietary recommendations in the prevention of prostate cancer as well as in the management of patients with prostate cancer. The researchers found that a diet low in fat, high in vegetables and fruit, and avoiding high energy intake, excessive meat, and excessive dairy products and calcium intake may be helpful in preventing prostate cancer, and for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Specifically, consumption of tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, green tea, and vitamins including Vitamin E and selenium seemed to propose a decreased risk of prostate cancer. Consumption of highly processed or charcoaled meats, dairy products, and fats seemed to be correlated with prostate cancer. “Although not conclusive, results suggest that general dietary modification has a beneficial effect on the prevention of prostate cancer,” the authors conclude. “In patients with prostate cancer, dietary therapy allows patients to be an active participant in their treatment.”
For full article see above link.
Studies Show Selenium Prevents Cancer and Thyroid Diseases →
Jun 03 09 (NaturalNews) Selenium is an essential trace mineral that forms an important part of our immune defense function, as well as a component in heart muscle. Found naturally in animal protein and vegetables, it is also found in fish, vegetables, and especially Brazil nuts. Its anti-oxidant functions have now been shown to reduce the risk of many cancers as well as thyroid disease, infertility and arthritis. There is even a suggestion that selenium alters genes that cause cancer. Because selenium occurs naturally in the soil, organic crops will absorb it and transfer it into a form that is bioavailable to humans. The East Coast has selenium deficient soil, but the soil in the rest of the United States is rich in this mineral. To maintain the proper levels, supplementation is advised. The effective form of selenium is L-selenomethionine, as this is the form most easily absorbed and stored in the body. This is also the form of this important mineral used in most clinical trials. Other forms, such as selenite, are not as easy for the body to assimilate. Selenium has now been approved by the FDA for cancer reduction. “Selenium may reduce the risk of certain cancers. Some scientific evidence suggests that consumption of selenium may reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer. However, the FDA has determined that this evidence is limited and not conclusive.” The statement that the results are” limited and not conclusive” is a major breakthrough for the health benefits of this nutrient.
For full article, see link above.
Low Serum Vit B6, B12, Selenium contribute to disability in older women
LOW MICRONUTRIENT LEVELS AS A PREDICTOR OF INCIDENT DISABILITY IN OLDER WOMEN
Background: The role of nutritional status in the disablement process is still unclear. The objective of this study was to assess whether low concentrations of nutrients predict the development and course of disability.
Methods: Longitudinal study including community-dwelling women 65 years or older enrolled in the Women’s Health and Aging Study I. In total, 643 women were assessed prospectively at 6-month intervals from 1992 to 1995.
Results: Incidence rates of disability in activities of daily living (ADLs) during 3 years of follow-up. Incidence rates in the lowest quartile of each selected nutrient were compared with those in the upper quartiles. The hazard ratios were estimated from Cox models adjusted for potential confounders. Women in the lowest quartile of serum concentrations of vitamin B6 (hazard ratio [HR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.67), vitamin B12 (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.12-1.74), and selenium (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.12-1.71) had significantly higher risk of disability in ADLs during 3 years of follow-up compared with women in the upper 3 quartiles.
Conclusions: Low serum concentrations of vitamins B6 and B12 and selenium predict subsequent disability in ADLs in older women living in the community. Nutritional status is one of the key factors to be considered in the development of strategies aimed at preventing or delaying the disablement process.
Bartali B, et al. Archives of Internal Medicine. November 27, 2006; Vol. 166, No. 21, pp. 2335-2340.
Eating Just Two Brazil Nuts a Day Ensures Adequate Selenium Levels →
Oct 10 08 (NaturalNews) Brazil nuts are the best way to add selenium to your diet. A recent study at the University of Otago in New Zealand found that eating just two Brazil nuts a day is as effective in increasing selenium status and enhancing glutathione peroxidase activity as a recommended dosage of selenomethionine. Inclusion of this high-selenium food in the diet could avoid the need for fortification or supplements to improve selenium levels.
Researchers operating with the knowledge that Brazil nuts provide a rich natural source of selenium sought to investigate the bioavailability of this selenium in humans. They investigated the efficacy of Brazil nuts in increasing selenium compared to that of selenomethionine, believed to be the preferred supplement because of its high bioavailability. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 59 New Zealand adults. Participants consumed 2 Brazil nuts, selenomethionine, or a placebo. Plasma selenium and plasma and whole blood glutathione peroxidase activities were measured at baseline and at intervals following treatment.
For full article, see link above.
