The risk of developing liver cancer may be significantly higher for people who have low levels of the nutrient selenium in their blood, suggests a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Selenium is a trace mineral present in soil, animal products, and plant-based foods, including seafood, organ meats, milk, and eggs. The Nati nal Institutes of Health (NIH) says selenium is essential for human health, with beneficial roles for reproduction, the immune system, and DNA synthesis.
Studies have also shown that selenium has antioxidant properties that can protect against oxidative stress that has been associated with cancer development.
Research by Prof. Lutz Schomburg, of the Institute of Experimental Endocrinology in Berlin, Germany found that patients with liver, gallbladder and biliary tract cancers had significantly lower selenium levels.
