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Selenium FAQ's - Selenium questions answered here
| What is selenium?
Selenium is a trace element found to a varying extent in soil. It enters the human diet through plants such as whole grains and through the meat of animals grazing on vegetation containing selenium. This mineral naturally occurs in foods such as whole grains, seafood, garlic, eggs and mushrooms What are CD 4 Cells And Why Do We Measure Them? Our blood is made up of two components: liquid and solid. The liquid part of the blood is called plasma. The solid part is made up of cells. There are essentially three types of cells in the blood:
The cells have a receptor on the outside that allows HIV to bind with the CD4 cell and inject its genetic code. Think of a lock with a key:
The CD4 count is a test which measures the number of CD4 cells in a blood sample. Normal CD4 counts in adults range from 600-1500 cells. This number is a laboratory marker of the strength of a person's immune system. It helps to determine how advanced HIV disease has become. One of the criteria for an AIDS diagnosis is when the CD4 count drops below 200 cells. At this point there is a great risk for developing opportunistic infections like pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). Why is selenium important in our diet? It is believed that selenium helps fight diseases including cancer by neutralizing harmful elements called "free radicals," the unstable molecules that damage tissues. According to Dr. Richard A. Passwater, " Your body needs this mineral for the production of several important body compounds, including enzymes, or catalysts, involved in antioxidant protection and thyroid-hormone metabolism. It has been estimated that there are between 50 and 100 different selenium-containing proteins in the human body, including those that build heart muscle, red blood cells, and sperm." Don't I get enough selenium if I eat a healthy balanced diet? Selenium occurs naturally in foods such as whole grains, seafood, garlic, eggs and mushrooms, but because much of the farming soil is nutrient depleted, it is important to supplement. "It is almost impossible for the average person to know how much (selenium) is in the diet because foods vary in their content depending upon where they come form. This is why the use of supplements is warranted in the case of selenium where it might not be warranted with other nutrients," comments Larry C. Clark, M.P.H, Ph.D. Are there different forms of selenium? In the nutraceutical market selenium can be purchase either as a salt form inorganic or in an organically bound form. The salts are sodium selenite and sodium selenate and both have been shown to be less bioavailable than organically bound forms of selenium. The organically bound forms of selenium are high selenium yeast or selenomethionine. High selenium yeast contains multiple organic selenium compounds whereas selenomethionine is a single amino acid (methionine) with a selenium molecule attached to it. There are several qualities of high selenium yeast products with the best one to use being a product that certifies that it contains 100% organically bound selenium; as many high selenium yeast products can not certify this claim. Selenox is 100% organically bound selenium. Which form of selenium should be taken as a nutritional supplement? Dr. Passwater: "Since we haven't really identified which dietary selenium compound(s) may protect against cancer, nor have we elucidated the mechanism(s) through which they act, I feel it is extremely important to stick with the exact supplement that has been proven effective in clinical trials which is high selenium yeast." As a natural nutritional food source, yeast replicates the mineral conversion process performed by most plants (i.e. garlic, broccoli). This natural plant process converts inorganic (low bioavailability, potentially toxic) minerals, selenium, to safer organic (high bioavailability, reduced toxicity) forms for improved nutrient utilization. Are there any current studies using High Selenium Yeast? Yes, there are a series of cancer and health related trials currently underway using High Selenium Yeast as the intervention agent. Some of these studies are being funded by the following organizations: National Cancer Institute (NCI) [United States & Canada], National Institute of Health (NIH), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DOD), International Cancer Alliances Why use yeast to convert inorganic selenium to an organic form for human consumption? Yeast naturally converts inorganic forms of selenium into organically bound seleno compounds forms in a consistent and controllable fermentation system. Organically bound High Selenium Yeast provides increased bioavaliblity for the human body compared to other forms of selenium, which greatly reduces the potential for toxicity. Is it safe to use a nutritional supplement that contains yeast? Yes. "The yeast in nutraceuticals is dead, since the yeast manufacturing process involves a high-temperature, sterilization of the cream yeast immediately prior to spray drying . . . . By definition, an inactive yeast is dead and has lost its ability to reproduce in or out of the human body." Dr. Seymour Pomper a leading researcher working with the industrial food applications of yeast for over 40 years explains the differences between Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is used in nutritional supplements and Candida. Should I supplement with other antioxidants in addition to the selenium? Selenium and Vitamin E each have specific functions in fighting free radicals, but they also have common functions to protect the body against free radicals. When taken together the body gets the benefit of each of their specific functions, plus their common functions complement each other to perform better as one than as two separate entities. It is believed that these two antioxidants can work together "synergistically" to prevent free radicals from damaging healthy cells and therefore reduce the risk of cancer. This is the rate and extent to which a substance is absorbed into the bloodstream. With SelenoExcell® High Selenium Yeast, is there a problem with Candida? Absolutely not because Selenox High Selenium Yeast is produced by fermentation using the common yeast organism known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Candida is a yeast infection caused by the pathogen species known as Candida albicans, collectively known as candidiasis. A yeast authority, Dr. Graeme M. Walker, has clearly shown that Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces a factor that kills the pathogen species, Candida. Therefore, it can help control candidiasis. These are highly reactive molecules capable of causing damage in brain and other tissues. They are common by-products of normal chemical reactions occurring in cells, and accelerate the progression of heart disease, cancer and age-related diseases. Also known as “free radical scavengers” these molecules defend the body from cellular damage by ending the free radical chain reaction before vital molecules are harmed. This is the body’s complex system of defence against disease, consisting of certain white blood cells and antibodies defending the body from invasion by foreign substances such as bacteria , viruses and cancer cells. A Virus is a small particle that infects cells in biological organisms. They are parasites because they reproduce only by invading and taking over other cells since they lack the cellular machinery for self-production. Commonly known as “the building blocks of protein.” There are about 20 different Amino Acids from which every protein in the body is made. There are 9 so-called “essential” Amino Acids that are not manufactured by the body and must come from the diet. These are the principal components of the Immune System. They function by destroying foreign substances such as bacteria and viruses. Also known as leucocytes. Why is there this WORLD-WIDE SHORTAGE OF SELENIUM? It has been demonstrated that Sulphur Dioxide from fossil fuel burning and the production of Acid Rain greatly contributes to the decrease of Selenium in the soil, and thus a huge deficiency in the food chain. |