Simply put, Selenium is a key micro-nutrient that is vital to all human health and well-being. It has been well documented that those with higher levels of blood Selenium, have the lowest rate of tumors. This is probably the reason why so many scientists have described Selenium as an “anti-carcinogenic” micro-nutrient.

1. budwigcenter.com http://www.budwigcenter.com/blog/selenium-powerful-mineral-health-wellness/#.U_Xoyt8wkU7
Selenium – The Most Powerful Mineral For Health And Wellness
“Selenium is the most potent broad-spectrum anti-cancer agent that has yet been discovered” – Dr. E. J.
Crary
Simply put, Selenium is a key micro-nutrient that is vital to all
human health and well-being.
It has been well documented that those with higher levels of
blood Selenium, have the lowest rate of tumors. This is
probably the reason why so many scientists have described
Selenium as an “anti-carcinogenic” micro-nutrient.
It’s no coincidence that in countries where the soil and water
are high in Selenium, the populace experience lower rates of
tumor activity.
For example, In Japan where longevity is high and tumor
rates are low, the Selenium rich soil and water is thought to
be playing a major role in the overall health and longevity of
the Japanese population. It is also no secret that the Japanese eat a lot of raw fish which are high in Selenium.
According to the World Health Organizations 2014 Life Expectancy Report, Japanese women have the longest
life-expectancy in the world with an average age of 87 years. Japanese men also fare well and come in eighth in
their list, with an average life-expectancy of 80 years.1
What is Selenium?
Selenium is actually a trace mineral, which is found naturally in the soil and water from where it eventually makes
its way into plants and animals and ultimately into our food chain.
Selenium is made up of around two dozen selenoproteins which play a critical role in many of the bodies
processes such as reproduction, metabolism, thyroid function, DNA synthesis and protection from oxidative
damage.
Many of the everyday foods that we eat provide beneficial levels of Selenium including:-
Brazil nuts
Tuna
Sunflower seeds
Sea food
Whole grains
Meats – Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Lamb and Pork
Eggs
Mushrooms
Onions
Milk
Garlic
Broccoli

2. Brussel sprouts
Foods that are richest in Selenium are seafood, organ meats, muscle meats, fortified cereals, grains and dairy
products.
Brazil nuts are also extremely high in Selenium with 6-8 nuts containing over 544 micrograms of Selenium or
almost 10 times the recommended daily intake!
It’s important to note that when food is overcooked, refined or processed, the Selenium is usually destroyed.
Another important reason to enjoy a nutrient rich diet containing fresh and natural produce, rather than one based
on junk processed foods.
Why Is Selenium So Good for us?
Selenium and other trace minerals are incredibly important to our bodies overall functionality.
Trace minerals like Selenium help transport oxygen to our cells, protect cell membranes and also aid in the
assimilation of other nutrients such as amino acids, proteins and hormones.
Selenium supports our immune and endocrine systems and when combined with other nutrients such as vitamin
E, vitamin C, vitamin B3 and glutathione peroxidase, acts as a powerful antioxidant.
In addition to this, Selenium is also believed to be an excellent anti-inflammatory and as we know, chronic
inflammation is the cause of many serious illnesses.
Selenium is the only mineral that the FDA (US Food and Drugs Administration) attributes as being beneficial in
the prevention of “certain cancers”.2
In fact, Selenium is so powerful that scientists class it as the most potent anti-carcinogenic agent known to
man!

3. Research has shown that Selenium is effective in the fight against a number of forms of tumor including breast,
prostate, liver, bladder, skin, stomach and esophageal tumors.
So you see, a body deficient in Selenium will not function at optimum levels and over the long-term, may create
an environment for serious illness to thrive.
A deficiency in Selenium has been associated with a whole host of health conditions including:
Fatigue
Dry skin
Dandruff
Cataract development
Keshan disease
Increased risk of tumors
Increased risk of heart disease
Increased risk of thyroid disease
Risk of Crohn’s disease
Kashin-beck disease
Mental retardation including Myxedematous Endemic Cretinism
Cognitive decline
Research and Studies into the Health Benefits of Selenium
There have been many studies over the years into Selenium’s anti-tumor properties.
For example, in an epidemiological study, Dr. Raymond Shamberger categorized the states and cities in the USA
according to whether there was high, medium, or low Selenium availability in the diet.
He demonstrated an inverse association between Selenium availability and age-adjusted mortality for all types of
tumor activity. To put it simply, the more Selenium available, the lower the levels of diseased cells.
In a worldwide study Dr. Gerhard Schrauzer, M.D., Ph.D. (professor of medical chemistry at the University of
California at San Diego) analyzed the blood-bank data from 27 countries around the world. He compiled a list in

4. order of their blood Selenium levels disclosing an inverse proportional relationship to tumor incidence, reporting
specifically that areas with low levels of Selenium in the diet had higher levels of leukemia and tumors of the
breast, colon, rectum, prostate, ovary, and lung.
In other words, the number one nation in blood Selenium level (Japan) had the lowest tumor activity level (and
consistently has rated highest in longevity) while the number two Selenium level nation had the second lowest
cancer rate, etc.4
In another study by Dr. L.C. Clark of the University of Arizona Cancer Center noted that a Selenium treated group
developed 66% fewer prostate cancers, 50% fewer ColoRectal cancers and approximately 40% fewer lung
cancers in comparison to a placebo group.4
In an interview with Dr. Passwater Ph.D, Dr. Gerhard Schrauzer a member of the American Association for Cancer
Research said
“At the April 9th annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, in Washington, D.C., an
interesting report was given by Milan Geybels, M.Sc., of Maastricht University in Maastricht, the Netherlands. He
reported that among a group of almost 60,000 men aged 55–69 at the beginning of the study, those with the
highest selenium levels had more than a 60% reduced risk for advanced prostate cancer. That’s impressive.” 5
Dr. Schrauzer recommends a daily intake of 200 mcg of Selenium which is the equivalent to eating just 4 Brazil
nuts per day!
In a GreenMed TV interview with Dr. Peter Glidden titled “This Supplement Could Cut Breast Cancer Risk in Half”
Dr. Glidden stresses the importance of Selenium and how it can dramatically reduce the risk of breast tumors. You
can watch the short video below.
Selenium Supplementation
Unfortunately, there are many parts of the world which are Selenium deficient. Countries such as New Zealand,
China, Croatia and the Slovak Republic all have low soil Selenium levels.
The good news is that if you are eating a healthy nutritious diet with the right combination of green vegetables,
fruit, fish, nuts and meat, you should be getting adequate levels of Selenium.
If you are living in one of the countries listed above, or are suffering from health problems, it is a good idea to use
supplementation to make sure you keep yourself topped up.
As a guide, the US Food and Nutrition Board recommend a daily intake of 55 mcg (micrograms) of Selenium with
a tolerable upper intake of around 400 mcg per day.3
It’s been well documented that a traditional Japanese diet contains around 600 mcg of Selenium per day. As the
Japanese are such a healthy nation, there is strong evidence to suggest that Selenium is at the heart of their
success.
If you do wish to supplement, you should use a high quality Selenium supplement. The Budwig Center
online store stocks an excellent Selenium product which you may purchase here
https://www.budwigcenter.com/store/selenium/selenium-cfn
Selenium Toxicity
Selenium toxicity is fairly rare, but is possible especially if you eat too many Brazil nuts or purchase a low quality
Selenium product. There have been cases where people purchased Selenium products that were mislabelled,
containing hundreds of times more Selenium than they should have and of which caused severe toxicity.
Blood concentrations should not exceed 1,000 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) otherwise it can lead to Selenosis
(Selenium toxicity).

5. Signs of Selenosis are gastrointestinal upset, white blotchy nails, hair loss, diarrhea, nausea, irritability and bad
breath.
Acute Selenosis can potentially result in neurological problems, acute respiratory distress syndrome, kidney
failure, heart failure and in rare cases, death.
If you would like to find out more about Selenium and the Budwig Diet, please download our FREE 96 page
Budwig guide here.
SOURCES
1. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2014/world-health-statistics-2014/en/
2. http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm168527.htm
3. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/#h5
4. Source -Chapter 12 – Fantastic Foods & Super Supplements Cancer – Step Outside the Box
page 341
5. http://www.drpasswater.com/nutrition_library/SeleniumHumanHealth.html
http://www.traceminerals.com/research/selenium