Selenium
50 mcg per tablet
| $4.99 | 100 Count Bottle VP1023R | Retails for $5.90 |
Selenium is a vital anti-oxidant which protects the immune system by preventing the formation of free radicals, which can damage the body. As part of the body's detoxification system,
Selenium is particularly helpful in getting rid of chemical pollutants such as heavy metals. As an antioxidant, it prevents or slows the aging process of tissue. It is beneficial for the cardiovascular system and helps protect against cancer. Selenium and Vitamin E act synergistically to aid in the production of antibodies and to help maintain a healthy heart.
It is also needed for proper pancreatic function and to maintain the natural elasticity of tissue in the body.
Find Selenium Mineral Supplements at a Featured Merchant (below)
Selenium is an essential trace mineral. Selenium is an important part of antioxidant enzymes that protect cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are produced during normal oxygen metabolism.
The body uses antioxidants as a defense to control levels of free radicals because they can damage cells and contribute to the development of some chronic diseases. Selenium is essential for normal functioning of the immune system and thyroid gland.
Selenium May Help Slow AIDS Virus
Increasing the production of naturally occurring proteins that contain selenium in human blood cells slows down multiplication of the AIDS virus, according to biochemists.
According to a recently published article in the Journal of Biological Chemistry researchers found that increasing the level of proteins that contain selenium negatively affects the replication of HIV. The study was conducted by a research team from Penn State University Department of Immunology and Molecular Toxicology.
Selenium is a micronutrient that the body needs to maintain normal metabolism. Unlike other nutrients, which bind to certain proteins and modulate the protein's activity, selenium gets incorporated into proteins in the form of an amino acid called selenocysteine.
These proteins - selenoproteins - are especially important in reducing the stress caused by an infection, thereby slowing its spread. Upon infecting a person, the virus quickly degrades selenoproteins so that it can replicate efficiently. It is unclear just how the virus is able to silence these proteins but the Penn State research team believe that stress inflicted on cells by the rapidly dividing virus, which produces a key protein known as TAT, is the likely culprit.
TAT is one of about 14 odd proteins produced by HIV during the first stage of infection. The function of these proteins is to trigger the expression of all the other genes that the virus needs to sustain itself. In addition, TAT also plays a key role in helping the virus replicate. One of the proteins that targets TAT is a selenoprotein known as TR1.
Since HIV targets the selenoproteins, the team believed that the logical way to deal with the virus is to increase the expression of such proteins in the body. The team's findings are outlined in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (Nov. 28 issue).
Researchers first isolated blood cells from healthy human volunteers who did not have HIV, and infected those cells with the virus. Next, they added tiny amounts of selenium into the cell culture to see the effect on viral replication. Results from the tests indicate that the addition of selenium inhibits the replication of HIV at least 10-fold, compared to cell cultures in which no selenium is added. When the researchers selectively reduced production of the selenium containing TR1 protein, they observed a 3.5-fold increase in viral replication.
The study helps confirm that while increasing the expression of TR1 has a negative impact on the replication of HIV, reducing it helps the virus replicate more efficiently. TR1 works by upsetting the chemical structure of TAT, which in turn reduces the virus' ability to replicate.
The studies are partly funded by the National Institutes of Health.
New Report... SELENIUM May Prevent Bladder Cancer
Selenium may prevent high risk-Bladder Cancer according to a new study published in the December issue of Cancer Prevention Research.
The journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, suggests that SELENIUM, the trace mineral found in grains, nuts and meats, may aid in the prevention of high-risk bladder cancer.
In an important new study, a team of researchers from Dartmouth Medical School compared SELENIUM levels in 767 individuals newly diagnosed with bladder cancer to the levels of 1,108 individuals from the general population. Findings showed an inverse association between SELENIUM and bladder cancer among women, some smokers and those with bladder cancer.
In the entire study population, there was no inverse association between SELENIUM and bladder cancer, however women (34 percent), moderate smokers (39 percent) and those with positive cancer (43 percent) had significant reductions in bladder cancer with higher levels of SELENIUM.
There are several pathways by which bladder cancer evolves and it is believed that one of the major pathways involves alterations in the "p53 gene." Bladder cancers stemming from these alternations in the "p53 gene" are associated with more advanced disease.
While other studies have shown a similar association between SELENIUM and bladder cancer among women, the new study is one of the first to demonstrate an association between SELENIUM and high-risk "p53 gene" bladder cancer.
Adapted from materials provided by American Association for Cancer Research.
