Newsletter

Newsletter

Selenium Deficiency Associated With Increased Inflammation In Seniors

Selenium deficiency associated with increased inflammation in seniors

Selenium deficiency associated with increased inflammation in seniors

Tuesday, September 25, 2012. A report published online on September 13, 2012 in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging reveals a greater risk of inflammation among institutionalized older individuals whose levels of the mineral selenium were deficient.

"The aging process has been demonstrated to be associated with oxidative damage and increased production of inflammatory cytokines," W. Y. Lin and colleagues write in their introduction to the article. "The inappropriate presentation of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-6, characterizes a chronic inflammatory state in the elderly. Meanwhile, it has been reported that the increase in serum inflammatory cytokines, especially IL-6, is related to the development of sarcopenia, functional disability, frailty, and increased morbidity and mortality."

The current study included 336 men and women between the ages of 65 and 101 years who were residents of long-term health facilities in Taiwan. Blood samples were analyzed for the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), selenium and other factors.

Selenium deficiency, defined as having a serum selenium level of less than 80 micrograms per liter (mcg/L), was detected in 35.6 of the men and 43.2 percent of the women participating in the study. An increased risk of deficiency was associated with rising levels of IL-6. Among those whose IL-6 levels were among the top 25 percent of participants, the risk of deficiency was more than double that of subjects whose IL-6 levels were among the lowest quarter.

The authors attribute the finding to selenium's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and note that decreases in serum selenium as well as increases in interleukin-6 have been linked with chronic diseases involving inflammation, including cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. They remark that chronic inflammatory diseases could be a consequence rather than a cause of the relationship between selenium and IL-6; however, the design of the study prohibited exploration of causality. "Future studies should aim to further clarify the linkage between selenium and IL-6, and possible benefits and disadvantages of intervention," they conclude.

shadow
What's Hot Highlight

Three months of green tea extract results in reductions in inflammation, blood pressure and oxidative stress in obese men and women

What's Hot

A report in the June, 2012 issue of Nutrition Research revealed the results of a double-blinded trial which found a benefit for supplementation with green tea extract on blood pressure, inflammation, oxidative stress and insulin resistance. "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical trial performed on obese, hypertensive patients," announce authors Pawel Bogdanski and his colleagues at Poland's Poznan University.

Fifty-six men and women with high blood pressure and a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or more were randomized to receive a capsule containing 379 milligrams green tea extract or a placebo for three months. Blood pressure and serum levels of lipids, glucose, antioxidants, insulin and the inflammatory markers tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured before and after treatment.

At the end of the study, subjects who received green tea had improved insulin resistance, blood pressure, lipids, inflammation and total antioxidant status. Dr Bogdanski and his associates remark that green tea's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions may explain its cardioprotective and blood pressure-lowering effects.

"The present findings demonstrate strong evidence for a beneficial influence of green tea extract supplementation on blood pressure, carbohydrate metabolism, and lipid profile, as well as on inflammation and oxidative stress, in patients with obesity-related hypertension," the authors write. "Further studies on a larger scale and with a longer duration of observation are needed to support our data and to explore their mechanistic basis."

October 2012 Life Extension Magazine® Now Available in Electronic Format

October 2012 Life Extension Magazine® Now Available in Electronic Format

This e-issue of Life Extension Magazine® is extraordinarily easy to use, easy to navigate … with the same flip-the-page feeling you get from your printed copy, plus a few extra advantages. You can choose to search out a topic or keyword. Skim quickly. Skip ahead. Even order products. Now all that convenience is right at your fingertips.

A tragic miscarriage of justice: We must convince the President to release Jay Kimball, by William Faloon
We urge you to sign an online petition requesting that President Obama commute Jay Kimball's egregious jail sentence to the time he has already served in prison.

Powerful protection against cellular aging, by Michael Downey
PQQ has the potential to reverse subcellular aging.

Glucose control can be easy, by Paul McGlothin and Meredith Averill
The CR Way to Great Glucose Control helps you take control of your glucose levels and stop dangerous glucose surges.

Defend against DNA destruction, by Alex Richter
Research shows that a special group of carotenoid nutrients, the xanthophylls, combat DNA damage and boost DNA repair mechanisms.

The FDA exposed: An interview with Dr. David Graham, the Vioxx® Whistleblower, reprinted with permission
After two decades of working at the FDA, senior drug safety researcher Dr. David Graham reveals truths about everyday corruption and crimes at the FDA

Restoring cellular energy metabolism, by Kirk Stokel
D-ribose replenishes the metabolic energy needed by all our cells.

Latest Supplements

Super K with Advanced K2 Complex

Melatonin 6-Hour Timed Release, 750 mcg, 60 capsules
Item #01088

add to cart

Melatonin keeps our circadian cycle in tune. Not only does this hormone work to maintain cell health, it appears to regulate a system of self-repair and regeneration. Melatonin also has strong antioxidant properties. It directly scavenges both hydroxyl and peroxyl free radicals, and it does so more effectively than most other antioxidants. It also greatly potentiates the efficiency of other endogenous and exogenous antioxidants. Melatonin is especially important for protecting cellular DNA against peroxynitrite damage by inhibiting peroxynitrite free radical reactions. Some research has found that melatonin increases the speed of falling asleep and adds to the quality of sleep in about 60% of people who use it.

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate capsules

Biotin, 600 micrograms, 100 capsules
Item #00102

add to cart

Biotin is an unnumbered member of the B-complex family, normally only required in minute amounts. Biotin, a water-soluble vitamin, is used as a cofactor of enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism, gluconeogenesis, and amino acid catabolism, making biotin essential in maintaining metabolic homeostasis. Biotin plays an important role in metabolic functioning as a coenzyme carrier of activated carbon dioxide in the TCA cycle (also known as the Krebs cycle). In its coenzyme form, biotin synthesizes glucose from noncarbohydrate sources, and synthesizes and breaks down certain fatty acids and amino acids.

shadow

Highlight

Life Extension Update What's Hot
Coenzyme Q10 plus selenium supplementation reduces cardiovascular deaths in long term trial Antioxidants relieve pancreatitis pain
Micronutrient supplementation associated with decreased mortality among the critically ill Selenium deficiency linked with increased risk of knee osteoarthritis
How deficiencies of selenium and other micronutrients can increase the risk of age-related disease Selenium may help prevent esophageal cancer in Barrett's esophagus
       
Life Extension Magazine® Health Topics
Selenium: important health benefits from an overlooked trace mineral Chronic inflammation
Getting serious about selenium Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease
Selenium: this versatile mineral bolsters antioxidant defenses and immune health, and may help to prevent cancer High blood pressure
       

shadow