Health Benefits of Selenium

Overview
Selenium is a mineral with powerful antioxidant properties that help to protect the cells in your body from oxidative damage. Studies show that selenium is also important in regulating thyroid function and can help to boost the immune system.

Food Sources of Selenium

Brazil nuts are the richest source of selenium. One ounce may provide as much as 544 micrograms. In fact, just two Brazil nuts can provide enough selenium to meet your dietary needs. Selenium may be found in much smaller amounts in tuna, beef, cod, turkey, chicken breast, pasta, egg, cottage cheese, oatmeal and a number of other foods.

Health Benefits of Selenium

Cancer. Studies show that supplementation with 200 micrograms of selenium could lower the risk of prostate, lung and colorectal cancer.

Heart disease. Studies suggest that selenium may help to prevent the buildup of plaque in the arteries and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Arthritis. Preliminary studies suggest that selenium may help to relieve the symptoms of arthritis.

Recommended intake

The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for selenium is 55 micrograms per day for adults. Children require much smaller amounts. 

Selenium toxicity

Excessive intake of selenium could be toxic. Accordingly, the Institute of Medicine has established an upper limit of 400 micrograms of selenium for adults, with lower levels for infants and children.

Resources

Dietary Supplements Fact Sheet: Selenium

Cancer Chemoprotection by Selenium and Thioredoxin
Brazil nuts: An effective way to boost selenium status

Health Benefits of Pomegranate

Overview

Pomegranate contains high levels of polyphenols, which act as powerful antioxidants that help to protect the cells from oxidative damage. These polyphenols have been shown to have a number of health benefits in laboratory studies as well as in epidemiological studies in humans. In fact, due to the high level of polyphenols and the health benefits observed in a number of scientific studies, pomegranate has been listed as a "superfruit" by the Food Marketing Association.

Polyphenols in Pomegranate

A number of studies show that polyphenols in pomegranate act as powerful antioxidants in laboratory animals and in humans. These compounds act as scavengers, mopping up free radicals in the blood and protecting healthy cells from oxidative damage.

Health Benefits of Pomegranate

A number of studies have been done to determine the health benefits of pomegranate. These studies show that regular intake of pomegranate and pomegranate juice can help to promote health and prevent a number of diseases. The health benefits observed are associated with the high content of polyphenols in pomegranate. According to these studies, pomegranate and pomegranate juice may help to:

• Prevent hardening of the arteries
• Protect against heart disease
• Prevent blood clots
• Slow down the growth of cancer cells (breast and prostate cancer)
• Fight bacterial infection
• Increase glucose and insulin sensitivity (reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes)
• Improve cholesterol profile (markers for heart disease risk)
• Promote brain health and protect against Alzheimer’s

Eat More Fruits Like Pomegranate

The food guide pyramid calls for Americans to eat at least 2 to 3 servings of fruits daily, along with at least 2 to 3 servings of vegetables.

Eating pomegranate or drinking pomegranate juice daily or at least 3 times a week will help you to meet this goal. You will also be able to enjoy the health benefits that the polyphenols in pomegranate provide.

Health Benefits of Resveratrol

Overview

Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent heart disease and may provide a number of other health benefits, as well. Red wine has a high concentration of resveratrol from grapes.

Health Benefits of Resveratrol

Studies show that resveratrol promotes health by protecting cells in your body from oxidative damage. The effects of resveratrol in protecting the heart and blood vessels is clear. On the other hand, the effect on cancer. obesity and other diseases is not so clear. 

• Heart disease. Resveratrol in red wine promotes heart health by reducing “LDL or ‘bad” cholesterol and increasing HDL or “good” cholesterol. Studies show that resveratrol may also work by reducing inflammation in the cells. Inflammation is a major cause of a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
• Cancer. Laboratory studies show that resveratrol can prevent the growth of cancer in cell culture and in some laboratory animals by interfering with the ability of cancer cells to multiply and grow. However, further investigations will be needed to determine if the same effects can be achieved with humans.
• Obesity. Resveratrol might help to prevent or treat obesity, based on studies in rats in which  resveratrol prevented fat cells from maturing. Resveratrol also appears to change the size and function of fat cells. However, researchers caution that more studies would be needed to determine the long-term effects of such treatment on humans.

Food Sources of Resveratrol

The most common food sources of resveratrol are red wine, grapes and purple grape juice. Other sources include berries, such as blueberries and cranberries.

A Word About Drinking

Red wine is a good source of resveratrol and offers real health benefits to people who drink responsibly. It is also an alcoholic beverage, which means it has the potential for abuse. Excessive drinking could lead to alcoholism, liver damage and other serious health problems. Recognizing these potential dangers, the American Heart Association and others caution against drinking too much. The recommended limit for those who drink is one drink (12 ounces of wine) per day for women and 2 drinks (24 ounces of wine) per day for men.

Resources

Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003 - PubMed result

The Endocrine Society