Selenium may be the key to lowering certain cancers in Black men!
Lower intake of the essential trace element selenium may be a risk factor for prostate cancer and other cancers. In the United States, many racial disparities in cancer incidence, such as the 61% higher incidence of prostate cancer among Blacks relative to Whites, remain unexplained. Using data from a large, nationally representative survey, the authors explored Black/White differences in serum selenium concentration. Mean serum selenium concentrations, both crude and adjusted for known predictors of serum selenium, were determined for 10,779 Black and White males and females aged >or=12 years who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994). Crude mean serum selenium concentrations were 126.35 ng/ml for Whites and 118.76 ng/ml (approximately 6% lower) for Blacks. Adjustment for known serum selenium predictors, including a proxy for residence at the county level, reduced the racial disparity, although concentrations remained approximately 3% lower in Blacks than in Whites of both sexes (p<0.0001). The observation that Blacks had lower unadjusted and adjusted serum selenium concentrations relative to Whites is intriguing, given the racial disparity in incidence of prostate cancer and other cancers.
Selenium, which is nutritionally essential for humans, is a constituent of more than two dozen seleno-proteins that play critical roles in reproduction, thyroid hormone metabolism, DNA synthesis, and protection from oxidative damage and infection. Selenium deficiency has been implicated in cardiovascular disease, infertility, myo-degenerative diseases, and cognitive decline. The role of selenium in cancer treatment is currently being studied and a great source for it is fennel seeds that have a flavor similar to anise or licorice. Selenium may help lower heart disease risk by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in your body. Oxidative stress and inflammation have been linked to atherosclerosis, or the buildup of plaque in arteries. Although Selenium is healthy it is best to take it in moderation to avoid negative affects a few seeds sprinkled in a salad a few times a week or brewed in a morning cup of tea is enough to keep adequate levels in your body. Selenium toxicity can occur with acute or chronic ingestion of excess selenium. Symptoms of selenium toxicity include nausea; vomiting; nail discoloration, brittleness, and loss; hair loss; fatigue; irritability; and foul breath odor (often described as “garlic breath”).
Melanin could act as a repository for selenium, helping ensure that organisms benefit from it. A team led by researchers at Northwestern University have managed to synthesize a new version of Black people's melanin that is essentially eumelanin enriched with selenium something African diets provide in plentiful amounts which is absent from European traditional diets. The biomaterial, called selenomelanin, was shown to exhibit properties that help protect human tissue against harmful radiation from medical X-rays and in spaceflight.
With an increasing need for lightweight, multifunctional and radioprotective biomaterials, the team examined whether seleno-melanin could offer better protection than other forms of melanin. Pheomelanin that gives red hair its color is also being studied its major difference being it is sulphur reactive rather than selenium based.