Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In 1932 subjects, half of whom had colorectal cancer, women with higher levels of selenium had 36% lower risk of colorectal cancer.

Selenium bestows a variety of health benefits that include protecting cells against oxidative stress and maintaining healthy inflammation levels (1, 2). Unfortunately, low selenium levels are very common across Europe compared to North America (3, 4) and this can increase the risk of a number of major diseases (5, 6).

Now a new study (7) suggests that blood levels of selenium may be linked to colorectal cancer risk in women. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men (746,000 cases per year, 10% of the total cancer incidence) and the second most common cancer in women (614,000 cases per year, 9.2% of the total cancer incidence) worldwide (8).

In the study, researchers analyzed data on 1,932 subjects (936 cases of colorectal cancer versus 936 age-matched controls) who participated in the EPIC study. This multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted in 10 European countries and was designed to investigate the associations between diet, lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors and various types of cancer (9, 10).

The researchers noted that when men and women were grouped together, higher blood levels of selenium did not produce a statistically significant decrease in colorectal cancer (p = 0.458). However, when the researchers looked at men and women separately, there was a significant benefit of higher selenium levels for women. Those in the highest 20% of selenium blood levels (greater than 100.6 micrograms/Liter) having a 36% lower risk of colorectal cancer than those in the lowest 20% (less than 67.7 mcg/L) (p = 0.032).

The researchers also looked at levels of a protein marker of selenium, called Selenoprotein P, regarded as the best biomarker of functional selenium since it reflects long-term selenium intake (11). Specifically, those in the highest 20% of selenoprotein levels (greater than 5.151 milligrams/Liter) had a 54% reduced risk of colorectal cancer risk compared to those in the lowest 20% of selenoprotein levels (less than 3.617 mg/L) (p = 0.004).

For the researchers, “the present study provides significant prospective data indicating an association between high selenium status and a lower risk of colorectal cancer risk and that in populations where selenium status is sub-optimal (e.g., Western Europe) increasing selenium intake may reduce risk of colorectal cancer, especially for women.”

Source: Hughes, David J., Veronika Fedirko, Mazda Jenab, Lutz Schomburg, Catherine Méplan, Heinz Freisling, H. B. Bueno‐de‐Mesquita et al. “Selenium status is associated with colorectal cancer risk in the European prospective investigation of cancer and nutrition cohort.” International journal of cancer 136, no. 5 (2015): 1149-1161.

© 2014 UICC

Posted December 22, 2014.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

References:

  1. Bellinger FP, Raman AV, Reeves MA, et al. Regulation and function of selenoproteins in human disease. Biochem J 2009;422:11–22
  2. Hatfield DL, Tsuji PA, Carlson BA, et al. Selenium and selenocysteine: roles in cancer, health, and development. Trends Biochem Sci 2014;39: 112–20
  3. Rayman MP. Food-chain selenium and human health: emphasis on intake. Br J Nutr 2008;100: 254–68.
  4. Johnson CC, Fordyce FM, Rayman MP. Symposium on ‘Geographical and geological influences on nutrition’: factors controlling the distribution of selenium in the environment and their impact on health and nutrition. Proc Nutr Soc 2010;69: 119–32
  5. Rayman MP. Selenoproteins and human health: insights from epidemiological data. Biochim Biophys Acta 2009;1790:1533–40.
  6. Fairweather-Tait SJ, Bao Y, Broadley MR, et al. Selenium in human health and disease. Antioxid Redox Signal 2011;14:1337–83.