Natural Sources of Selenium as Functional Food Products for Chemoprevention

Abstract

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, the incidence of which is increasing annually. Interest has recently grown in the anti-cancer effect of functional foods rich in selenium (Se). Although clinical studies are inconclusive and anti-cancer mechanisms of Se are not fully understood, daily doses of 100–200 µg of Se may inhibit genetic damage and the development of cancer in humans. The anti-cancer effects of this trace element are associated with high doses of Se supplements. The beneficial anti-cancer properties of Se and the difficulty in meeting the daily requirements for this micronutrient in some populations make it worth considering the use of functional foods enriched in Se. This review evaluated studies on the anti-cancer activity of the most used functional products rich in Se on the European market.

Keywords

• selenium
• selenium-rich product
• functional food
• Brazil nuts
• <i>Brassica</i> species
• cancer prevention