Selenium may Benefit Bladder, Metabolism and Heart Health

On the heels of a new population-based study that found that In the first of the three studies, researchers from Dartmouth Medical School analyzed data collected on the In a second study, Spanish researchers found that an increased intake of selenium may reduce the risk of developing metabolic syndrome and may reduce inflammation.³ Metabolic syndrome is a condition that has been linked to increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is characterized by obesity, hypertension and insulin resistance. Previous research has linked metabolic syndrome risk to a marker called serum complement factor 3 (C3).

The researchers enrolled 100 healthy, young adults between the ages of 18 and 34. The researchers took a number of physiological measurements, blood pressure readings, evaluated the participants' lifestyles and measured selenium concentrations in the participants. Using data from blood samples, the researchers found that several measures of metabolic syndrome, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), blood glucose levels, and plasma triglyceride levels were positively associated with C3 levels. However, selenium concentrations were inversely associated with C3 levels, indicating "a possible role for selenium intake in the modulation of C3, whose assessment may be an early marker of metabolic syndrome manifestations." The researchers noted that "further studies are needed with larger samples to confirm these translational data."

In the final study, German researchers found that selenium supplements increased levels of a beneficial antioxidant enzyme in heart tissue cells.⁴ The researchers found in both, a small in vitro and pilot in vivo study, that giving a supplement of selenium increases the levels of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx-1). Previous research has found that GPx-1 modulates vascular function in animals and may impact the development of coronary artery disease. In the in vivo study, 433 participants with coronary artery disease were given selenium supplements at levels of either 200mcg or 500mcg. Blood levels of the selenium and the GPx-1 were seen to increase in a dose-dependent manner. At 12 weeks, GPx-1 levels plateaued regardless of selenium supplementation level. The researchers concluded that "supplementation induces an increase in the activity of GPx-1, a selenoprotein prominent in antioxidant defense and cardiovascular protection."

The US Food and Drug Administration sets the Daily Value for selenium at 70mcg. Learn more about selenium at here.

1. Allen, N. E., P. N. Appleby, et al. (2008). "Plasma selenium concentration and prostate cancer risk: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)." Am J Clin Nutr 88(6): 1567-75.

2. K. Wallace, K.T. Kelsey, A. Schned, J.S. Morris, A.S. andrew, M.R. Karagas. "Selenium and Risk of Bladder Cancer: A Population-Based Case-Control Study". Cancer Prevention Research, December 2008, doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-08-0046.

3. Puchau, B., M. A. Zulet, et al. (2008). "Selenium intake reduces serum C3, an early marker of metabolic syndrome manifestations, in healthy young adults." Eur J Clin Nutr.

4. Schnabel, R., E. Lubos, et al. (2008). "Selenium supplementation improves antioxidant capacity in vitro and in vivo in patients with coronary artery disease The SElenium Therapy in Coronary Artery disease Patients (SETCAP) Study." Am Heart J 156(6): 1201 e1-11.