Selenium May Help Ward Off Colon Polyps
Have you had a bout of pre-cancerous colon polyps? If so, one option to prevent their return could be taking a selenium-based antioxidant supplement, says a study from Italy’s National Institute for Cancer Research that was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference in Houston this past December.
Over 400 people were separated into two groups: those who consumed a placebo or those who consumed an antioxidant-rich supplement containing 200 mcg of selenomethionnine, as well as zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E. At the end of the study, people in the antioxidant group experienced a 40% reduction in the incidence of new polyps in the large intestine. What’s more: these results continued for 13 years.
The Anti-aging Bottom Line: This is the first intervention study to specifically look at selenium-based antioxidant compound on the effect of reoccurring colon polyps and adds to the anti-cancer argument raging about the mineral, which is better known for it’s prostate health benefits.
