1219-1224 Men with higher levels of the element selenium appear to have a lower risk of prostate cancer than those with lower levels of the trace element, according to a study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. The report and editorial are published in the August 19th issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Selenium is a trace mineral found in many foods.
As part of a larger, ongoing study, the researchers evaluated selenium levels in the toenail clippings of nearly 34,000 men, each of whom were between 40 to 75 years of age in 1986. Since selenium collects in toenails over time, nail concentrations are a good indicator of overall selenium intake. The researchers report that 181 of the men developed prostate cancer between 1989-1994. Comparing healthy versus ill men, the authors found that those men with the highest intake of selenium had a significantly lower risk for prostate cancer than those with the lowest selenium intake. Recent studies have suggested that selenium and vitamin E may help prevent prostate cancer, note Drs.