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Review
. 2013 Apr 19;5(4):1349-65.
doi: 10.3390/nu5041349.

Selenium supranutrition: are the potential benefits of chemoprevention outweighed by the promotion of diabetes and insulin resistance?

Caroline R B Rocourt  1 , Wen-Hsing Cheng
Affiliations
Review

Selenium supranutrition: are the potential benefits of chemoprevention outweighed by the promotion of diabetes and insulin resistance?

Caroline R B Rocourt et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Selenium was considered a toxin until 1957, when this mineral was shown to be essential in the prevention of necrotic liver damage in rats. The hypothesis of selenium chemoprevention is principally formulated by the observations that cancer incidence is inversely associated with selenium status. However, recent clinical and epidemiological studies demonstrate a role for some selenoproteins in exacerbating or promoting other disease states, specifically type 2 diabetes, although other data support a role of selenium in stimulating insulin sensitivity. Therefore, it is clear that our understanding in the role of selenium in glucose metabolism and chemoprevention is inadequate and incomplete. Research exploring the role of selenium in individual healthcare is of upmost importance and possibly will help explain how selenium is a double-edged sword in the pathologies of chronic diseases.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Selenium status and promotion or prevention of chronic diseases. Description of the relationship between dietary selenium and selenium status and a summary of the effects of selenium on chronic disease.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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