One source of cadmium is coffee. If you have an overabundanc of cadmium you may want to limit your coffee consumption. Then again, since I am taking a good multi-vitamin supplement, I don’t ever expect to have that problem, since it contains Selenium.
High
levels of selenium in the body appear to reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer,
according to a study published in December 2011 in Gut, the journal of the
British Society of Gastroenterology.
Pancreatic cancer is particularly
lethal. It tends to be diagnosed only in advanced stages and 80% of patients die
within a year of diagnosis. Statistics show that only 5% of pancreatic patients
are still alive five years after diagnosis. In the US, it is the fourth leading
cancer in terms of mortality. For 2011, the National Cancer Institute estimated
44,030 new cases of the disease and 37,660 deaths from this form of
cancer.
Nail clippings reveal trace elements
The Gut article was based on a
study looking at patients with exocrine pancreatic cancer, the most common form
of the disease. An international research team analyzed trace element levels in
the toenails of 118 pancreatic cancer patients, comparing them with 399 hospital
patients without cancer. Researchers choose this method because nails,
especially toenails, are believed to be the most reliable indicators of trace
element levels.
Selenium and Nickel Among Non-Cancer Group
Patients without cancer
exhibited high levels of selenium in their toenail clippings. Selenium boosts
immune system function and reduces inflammation. Previous studies have shown
selenium can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds,
broccoli, spinach, oily fish like tuna and sardines, molasses, mushrooms and
garlic are all good sources of selenium. Levels of selenium can also vary
geographically. Produce and livestock grown in regions with a high selenium
concentration in the soil contain more of this element.
In addition to
the selenium, researchers also found higher levels of nickel among the toenail
clippings of the patients who did not have pancreatic cancer. Nickel enables
dietary iron absorption and contributes to the development of red blood cells.
Good food sources of include lentils, asparagus, oats, mushrooms, beans and
pears. Patients with the highest levels of nickel and selenium were between 33
per cent and 95 per cent less likely to have pancreatic cancer compared with
those with the lowest levels. The positive influence of selenium and nickel
appeared to be unchanged even after researchers accounted for other known risk
factors such as smoking, diabetes, and obesity.
Arsenic and Cadmium Among Cancer Group
On the other hand, researchers
found high levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium among the cancer group. They
determined that high levels of lead were six times more likely to occur among
cancer patients than those without cancer. High concentrations of arsenic and
cadmium were two to three times more common among the pancreatic cancer
sufferers. The high cadmium levels relate to cigarette smoking as this element
is present in tobacco. Health experts believe as many as one-third of all
pancreatic cancer cases are linked to smoking.
In the Gut article, the
researchers wrote "Our results support an increased risk of pancreatic cancer
associated with higher levels of cadmium, arsenic and lead, as well as an
inverse association with higher levels of selenium and nickel." They suggested
that clinical trials directly test selenium as a preventative measure for people
at high risk of pancreatic cancer.
Sources:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...http://gut.bmj.com/content/early/20...http://www.skynewsbusiness.com.au/h...http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/art...http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?...http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/se...http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/...
