There are many forms of cancer and some of them are the result of free radical oxidation that destroys or damages part of the DNA which regulates how the cell replicates. When the DNA is damaged or destroyed, the cells begin to multiply abnormally and damage the healthy tissue until the whole body is takeover by these wildly reproducing cells. Selenium is a powerful way to protect your cells from free radical oxidation and can help to minimize your risk of developing this kind of cancer.

If you do not have cancer, adding selenium to your diet may be a good way to keep it that way. If you are already diagnosed with cancer, taking selenium or eating selenium rich foods may be able to help slow the cancers progression.

Selenium has been shown to bring on the repair of DNA and the synthesis of damaged cells.  It also inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells and it induces their apoptosis which is the self-destruct sequence the body uses to eliminate abnormal cells.

It is no coincidence that studies demonstrate that cancer occurs at a much higher rate in people with low selenium or in areas of the body that are low in selenium and not in people or areas of the body that are selenium rich. People who are deficient in selenium seem to be much more likely to develop cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, lungs, ovary, pancreas and prostate. If the body has adequate levels of selenium, the risk of developing these types of cancers is very low.

It seems clear that selenium is a powerful antioxidant and is a key nutrient that we all should at least consider supplementing to our diet.