High levels of selenium in the blood may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, according to a new study that suggests but doesn’t prove the mineral’s role as a preventive.Selenium is a trace mineral found in meats, grains, seafood and some nuts. However, how much you get varies according to where you live, because different areas have different concentrations of selenium in the soil. Those who live in areas where selenium intake is low have higher rates of colorectal and other cancers."Your risk of colorectal cancer can vary by the amount of selenium you consume,” said lead researcher Elizabeth T. Jacobs, from the Arizona Cancer Center. “People with higher blood selenium levels tended to have a decreased risk of a recurrence of colon cancer."Selenium may protect against not only colon cancer but also prostate cancer and lung cancer, Jacobs added.Jacobs and her colleagues collected data from three randomized trials of colon cancer patients: the Wheat Bran Fiber Trial, the Polyp Prevention Trial and the Polyp Prevention Study. Looking at the data from these trials, they were able to determine the effect of selenium in the development of new cancerous colon polyps in patients.The researchers found that those with the highest selenium levels had a 34 percent lower risk of developing a new colon cancer, compared with those who had the lowest selenium levels. Their report appears in the Nov. 17 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
