Vitamin E and Selenium Study Fatally Flawed

October 29, 2008

I would regard the study as totally bogus and a typical mainstream

study designed to disprove other study results showing natural

alternatives to be beneficial.

The keys to examine any such study are usually:

1. Who funded the study

2. How were the study participants screened

3. What forms of supplements were used (normally the least effective

and synthetic forms are used in such studies)

and

4. What were the dosage amounts (normally much less than a

therapeutic dose is administered)

The study was initially undertaken because two previous even larger

studies showed than taking vitamin e resulted in a 32% lower rate of

prostate cancer and taking selenium resulted in a 60% lower incidence

of prostate cancer.

How is it then possible that a new study would find no reductions, and

even slight increases in prostate cancer from taking a common vitamin

and mineral? The answer is that it is not possible unless the study

was designed to fail - which has been known to happen over and over

when it comes to natural competition to patented drugs and treatments.

Absolutely ridiculous to even think that natural vitamins and minerals

found in a healthy diet would not be beneficial, much less be detrimental!

The key paragraphs in the story, outside those reporting the results

of the previous studies, appear to be these:

" The SELECT findings dash hopes raised by these earlier studies, says

Edward M. Messing, MD, professor and chairman of urology and deputy

director of the Cancer Center at the University of Rochester, N.Y.

Messing serves as a SELECT study investigator.

" I am afraid it will be the end of the story for large trials of

vitamin E and selenium to prevent prostate cancer, " Messing tells

WebMD. " For vitamin E, that is unfortunate. Probably if given in a

more effective form, it would be a protective or even therapeutic agent. "

Those revealing paragraphs indicate that first of all, the end of the

study will be the end of large trials for vitamin E and selenium -

which was very likely a desired result, and, more importantly, gives

us the admission that a different form of vitamin E would have

probably been protective or even therapeutic. "

When one examines the study itself, it becomes apparent what Dr.

Messing was referring to - and how easy it is to manipulate studies:

Instead of using the natural form of vitiman E considered most

beneficial for health, d-alpha-tocopherol acetate, they used

dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate. The " d " designation in front of the

" alpha " indicates that the products are derived from natural sources

such as vegetable oils or wheat germ. A prefix of " dl " , such as in

dl-alpha- tocopherol, shows that the vitamin has been synthesized from

a petroleum base.

Research has shown that the synthetic form of alpha-tocopherol acetate

is considerably less effective than its natural equivalent in raising

the blood plasma level of vitamin E and in preventing peroxide

hemolysis even when ingested at equivalent IU levels.

Vitamin E, in the natural form of alpha-tocopherol, is most valued for

it's anti-oxidant properties. Several other functions of

alpha-tocopherol have been identified that are not likely related to

its antioxidant capacity. For instance, alpha-tocopherol is known to

inhibit the activity of protein kinase C, an important cell-signaling

molecule. Alpha-tocopherol appears to also affect the expression and

activities of molecules and enzymes in immune and inflammatory cells.

Additionally, alpha-tocopherol has been shown to inhibit platelet

aggregation and to enhance vasodilation.

Likewise, the form of selenium used for the test, selenomethionine,

though the most popular form of selenium found in supplements, is most

commonly produced from selenide in sulfide ores such as those of

copper, silver, or lead. It is obtained as a byproduct of the

processing of these ores, from the anode mud of copper refineries and

the mud from the lead chambers of sulfuric acid plants. These muds can

be processed by a number of means to obtain free selenium.

The best form of selenium is the organic form found in the diet.

Brazil nuts contain the highest amounts of selenium than any other

known food type. It is also possible to obtain selenium through other

nuts, grains and seafood. Livestock who are allowed to graze on grains

grown in soil containing selenium, will typically contain selenium

within their meat.

The many benefits of selenium include its ability to boost the body's

immune system and protect it against disease such as heart disease.

Additionally, selenium assists the body with maintaining proper

control of the thyroid gland.

Individuals who have a deficiency in selenium are often reported as

becoming much more susceptible to infections, bacteria and other

illnesses.

It is not surprising to see that the article about the end of the

trial appeared in WebMD, a mainstream tool that merely gives lip

service to nature and alternative healing while featuring mainstream

articles and advertisements. Mainstream information sources seldom

bite the hands that feed them. In the case of WebMD, not only do they

not bite that hand, they have been known to have their own hands out

as well (a few years ago there was quite the Payola scandal at WebMD

when it was found that they were taking money under the table from

pharmaceutical companies to publish favorable information about their

products).

Although I would not recommend either Vitamin E or selenium in mega

therapeutic doses, both are essential to maintaining good health in

modest amounts and I consider them helpful in fighting cancer, and I

do recommend selenium as a particularly helpful item for maintaining

good liver health when fighting cancer.

Sources:

Linus Pauling Institute (Vitamin E)

International Health News ( " Alpha-tocopherol: The Great Protector " )

Wikipedia (For the forms of selenium)

www.nutritional-supplement-guides.com (For natural sources of selenium)

oleander soup , " Mike V " <mds9513 wrote:

>

http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20081028/prostate-cancer-prevention-st\

udy-halted

>

> I wonder if this is valid and if it is, does it mean it doesn't help

> other cancers either.

>

October 29, 2008

Tony,

The Jarrow brand SELENEXT contains 200mcg of methylselenocysteine. It says on the label that it is an activated selenium and most effective form of selenium.

Is this correct?

Thanks.

Melly

October 30, 2008

That appears to be the best form for fighting cancer.

Different Forms of Selenium

Inorganic forms of selenium such as sodium selenite have proven

more effective at fighting cancer than the commonly used organic form,

selenomethionine, yet selenomethionine was more effective at

increasing selenium tissue levels and glutathione peroxidase activity.

Because cells cannot distinguish selenomethionine from the essential

amino acid methionine, some selenomethionine becomes incorporated into

general body proteins, increasing tissue selenium levels.

Selenomethionine general proteins have no anticancer activity

while sodium selenite is more frequently metabolized to the toxic

metabolite hydrogen selenide (H2Se). Hydrogen selenide does have

anticancer effects but it is more toxic than selenomethionine. Its

primary mode of killing cancer cells (and at high levels, normal

cells) is through the process of cell necrosis. Cell necrosis provokes

inflammation and may kill healthy cells along with cancer cells.

More recent anticancer research has focused on the compound

Methyselenocysteine. Methyselenocysteine is found naturally in some

vegetables including garlic, brassicas, leeks, and onions, especially

when these are grown in high selenium soil. Methylselenocysteine is

easily converted to methylselenol which has been demonstrated to be an

effective anticancer form of selenium. Rather than killing cancer

cells by necrosis, methylselenol kills cancer cells through apoptosis.

Apoptosis is a orderly process of cellular self-destruction that does

not provoke inflammatory responses. Methylselenol is also known to

inhibit angiogenesis in beginning cancer tumors. Angiogenesis, the

creation of new blood vessels, is necessary for cancer cells to grow

into a tumor.

Methylselenocysteine does not accumulate in the body and is

considered to be non-toxic.

http://www.advance-health.com/selenium.html

oleander soup , melly banagale <tita_mel wrote:

>

> Tony,

>

> The Jarrow brand SELENEXT contains 200mcg of methylselenocysteine.

It says on the label that it is an activated selenium and most

effective form of selenium.

> Is this correct?

>

> Thanks.

> Melly

>

October 30, 2008

Tony,

Thanks for that great detailed explanation.

Melly

November 1, 2008

hello Tony,

I was interested in this post as I had just recently got my husband on the TRC selenium that Utopia sell on their website. I ordered them with my cs order but was disappointed when I got them because they looked so synthetic to me like a standard med (small round white pills similar to aspirin) unlike the natural vitamins I get from my UK supplier which look more "wholesome"being brown, orange and with a sort of gritty look/texture.

The label says L-selenomethonine. There is no D there so does that mean they are sythetic.

I have also been looking for Brasil nuts but they are hard to find where I live - I am hoping to find some soon as the Xmas season starts but in the meantime wanted to get my husband on a daily selenium supplement considering his Liver and immune conditions.

Thanks for any comments.

Nelly