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| Selenium Could Shield Against Diabetes |
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March 25, 2010 Scientists have found evidence that older men with higher levels of selenium are less likely to suffer from dysglycemia, or improper blood-sugar metabolism. Tasnime Akbaraly, from the University of Montpellier in France, and colleagues studied 1,162 French adults for nine years, checking their levels of selenium and monitoring whether they developed blood-sugar problems. According to their report, published online in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism, elderly men whose selenium concentrations were in the top one-third had a significantly lower risk. "The reason we observed a protective effect of selenium in men but not in women is not completely clear, but might be attributed to women being healthier at baseline, having better antioxidant status in general and possible differences in how men and women process selenium," Akbaraly said in a news release from the journal's publisher. Author:Randy Dotinga Source:Comments:The antioxidant properties of selenium are well known to prevent cancer and many other diseases. Oxidative stress is known to reduce insulin secretion and thereby increase insulin resistance. In addition to acting as a potent antioxidant and preventing oxidative damage, selenium has also been shown to mimic insulin-like activity, both of which could contribute to its anti-diabetic potential. Diabetes has reached worldwide epidemic proportions. The US alone has close to 60 million people who are either diagnosed with type II diabetes or are considered pre-diabetic. According to the American Diabetic Association the cost of type II diabetes was estimated to be $174 billion per year as of 2009. The Center of Disease Control estimates the epidemic by number of occurrences in a 24-hour period and the statistic for diabetes is overwhelming. One report suggests that in an average 24-hour period, 4,100 Americans are diagnosed with diabetes, 230 amputations occur in people with diabetes, 120 people enter end-stage kidney disease programs, and 55 people go blind. Frightening as it is, type II diabetes, which was one considered an ageing disease, is more frequently diagnosed in children and young adults under 25. While countless medicines and instruments are available on the market just to help a diabetic person “maintain” blood sugar level within normal limits, there are no options to actually cure diabetes. Dr. Rath's research has proven that like many other diseases type II diabetes is a chronic disease caused due to long-term nutrient deficiency and can thereby be prevented and controlled in its early stages. In addition to selenium, nutrients such as vitamin C, B complex vitamins, chromium, inositol, and choline are also important to support healthy glucose metabolism. When these nutrients are taken in synergistic proportions, they are more effective then when used alone. Please read more about Dr. Rath's research on diabetes and nutrient synergy at www.drrathresearch.org
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