The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Selenium' Category

Does selenium reduce the risk for prostate cancer?

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012

About 15 years ago, researchers in the US published the results of a study showing that taking selenium supplements lowered the risk of prostate cancer.

Now, researchers in the UK have examined all the available evidence for selenium intake, selenium levels in the body, and prostate cancer risk. (more…)

Selenium supplements in adults with high cholesterol

Sunday, December 11th, 2011

Researchers in the US and UK investigated the effect of selenium on lipid blood levels. (more…)

Increasing popularity of dietary supplements

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011

Dietary supplement use has steadily increased since the 1970s.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health estimated dietary supplement use based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2006, a nationally representative survey. (more…)

Vitamin E and an increased risk of prostate cancer

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) found no reduction in risk of prostate cancer with vitamin E supplements.

As a follow-up, researchers in the US determined the long-term effect of vitamin E and selenium in relatively healthy men. (more…)

Lack of effect of an Echinacea cocktail on exacerbations of COPD

Saturday, May 21st, 2011

Upper respiratory tract infections frequently exacerbate chronic-obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Researchers in Indonesia and Switzerland evaluated the effect of Echinacea purpurea + micronutrients in order to reduce the severity of these infections. (more…)

Vitamin E, selenium, + soy to treat prostate cancer?

Friday, May 6th, 2011

High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) is a precursor of invasive prostate cancer (PCa). Some preliminary evidence suggests vitamin E, selenium, and soy protein may prevent progression of HGPIN to PCa.

Researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital, in Toronto, Ontario tested this hypothesis. (more…)

Benefits of micronutrients in people with HIV

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

During the XVIII International AIDS Conference, researchers at Florida International University, in Miami, and other institutions in the US and Botswana reported the benefits of micronutrients. (more…)

Benefits of antioxidant treatment in patients with HIV

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

HIV infection and the long-term use of antiretroviral drugs are associated with increased mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress.

During the XVIII International AIDS Conference, researchers at Florida International University, in Miami, and other institutions in the US reported beneficial effects of antioxidant supplementation on immune function and reducing mitochondrial damage. (more…)

Use of CAM in patients with head and neck cancer

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

Researchers at the National University of Singapore surveyed the use of CAM in residents of Singapore who had head and neck cancer.

Here are their findings compared to other countries where similar studies have been conducted. (more…)

Selenium and skin cancer risk

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Researchers from Australia and the Netherlands conducted an 8-year follow-up study. (more…)

Selenium shows no benefit in nonsmall-cell lung cancer

Monday, June 7th, 2010

The majority of lung cancer patients do not benefit from selenium, according to researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston during the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. (more…)

SELECT and the effect of selenium on prostate cancer risk

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

Dr. Jodi Walker at the VA Medical Center, in Bath, New York has summarized the results of SELECT (The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial), which studied selenium (L-selenomethionine) and vitamin E alone or combined to lower the risk of prostate cancer.

Let’s summarize her summary. (more…)

Review of nutraceuticals to prevent prostate cancer

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

prostate-cancer-ribbonThe paucity of well-designed studies in patients makes it difficult to make specific recommendations, according to researchers at the University of Toronto, in Ontario. (more…)

The effect of selenium on cholesterol levels

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

seleniumResearchers at the University of Warwick Medical School, in Coventry, UK examined the association. (more…)

Supplements and prostate health

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

Is there benefit in prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostatitis? (more…)

Selenium, genetics, and aggressive prostate cancer

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

Genetics appear to influence the risk of aggressive prostate cancer in men taking selenium supplements, according to collaborators at cancer centers across the US. (more…)

Review: Selenium, Vitamin E, and prostate cancer

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

 Dr. Eric Klein (photo) from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, in Ohio has published a review.

Here’s a historical perspective. (more…)

Are the benefits of eating fatty fish due to selenium?

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

 Researchers at Hopital La Colombiere in Montpellier, France tell us, “The observed health benefits of fish consumption in the elderly could be related not only to the increase in omega-3 fatty acid intake but also to other nutrients such as selenium.” (more…)

Bad news for vitamin E and cancer prevention

Sunday, January 11th, 2009

 The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports 2 studies where vitamin E was not effective in preventing prostate cancer. (more…)

No convincing evidence for vitamins A, C, E or selenium in treating arthritis

Friday, December 5th, 2008

That’s the conclusion from Professor Ernst and colleagues from the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth in the UK. (more…)