Selenium was the darling supplement of the 1980s, believed to prevent and possibly treat heart disease. The claims were based on a study that found that countries with the highest rate of disease were usually lacking in the trace element.
Selenium carried the reputation of super supplement through the '80s and '90s, but a study published last month in The American Journal of Epidemiology has revealed that when it comes to heart health, selenium was never all it was cracked up to be.
The study involved 1,000 American adults who were followed for seven and a half years as they either took 200 micrograms of selenium a day or a placebo. Researchers studied the participants' blood samples and medical records and found some surprising news: selenium had no effect on developing heart disease.
Selenium may be developing a different reputation. While the supplement does nothing for heart disease, it has been linked to a lower risk of colorectal, prostate, and lung cancer.
[via New York Times]
Interests: Anything with an ING: dancing, biking, listening, talking, writing, reading, watching, eating, drinking, running, thinking, working, dreaming, surrendering, laughing, smiling, acting, traveling, singing, surfing, driving, shopping, thanking, observing, welcoming, connecting, loving, learning, sharing, practicing, asking. I love supermarkets in other places, lyrics to songs, seeking out gluten free food, responding to questions and surveys, finding deals and bargains, doing public relations for anyone/anything I believe in, good conversation, sociological observation, the beach, early mornings, condiments and spices, vitamins and minerals, alternative medicine, nutrition, holistic health, fitness gum, coffee drinking, gun chewing and sitting in the steam room.
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People: My mother and all of those that have come before me that have fought their own battles and didn't give up.
Places: Carl Schurz Park, New York, NY
Movies: In Search of a Midnight Kiss, Stealing Beauty, Beautiful Girls, When A Man Loves a Woman, In America, Magdelene Sisters, The Notebook, Run Fat Boy Run
Things: Causes worth fighting for: Lupus and other auto-immune disorders, Organ Donation and impoverished and at-risk youth.