Recently, more and more selenium-rich foods have entered the market, such as selenium-rich vegetables, selenium-rich cereals, selenium-rich eggs, etc. Because these products are labeled as rich in selenium, the price is even several times higher than other products of the same type. Many friends are flocking to selenium-rich foods because they believe that selenium can fight cancer. However, are selenium-rich foods really so magical? This article will take you to understand the truth.

Selenium is an indispensable trace element in the metabolism of humans and animals. It can inhibit cancer cells in the human body. This is because selenium can be used to improve the body's immune function and enhance the body's resistance. When the content of selenium in the human body increases, the level of cyclic AMP in cancer cells will also increase accordingly, forming a mechanism that inhibits the division and proliferation of cancer cells. Internal environment, effectively inhibits the synthesis of DNA, ribonucleic acid and protein in tumor cells, weakening the ability of tumor cells to proliferate in vivo. So in theory, selenium does have the function of inhibiting cancer cells in human metabolism.

However, although selenium-rich foods alone can improve immunity, it is difficult to achieve the anti-cancer effect. According to the "Reference Intake of Dietary Nutrients for Chinese Residents", the recommended daily intake of selenium per adult is 60 micrograms, and the maximum tolerable intake is 400 micrograms. According to this demand, our daily diet can basically meet it. However, the formation of cancer is affected by many factors, such as work and rest patterns and living environment. At this stage, there is no scientifically valid evidence that simply increasing the intake of selenium can effectively prevent cancer. On the contrary, excessive intake of selenium may even cause symptoms of selenium poisoning such as hair loss, nausea, and vomiting, seriously endangering human health.

In summary, eating selenium-rich foods can indeed improve human immunity to a certain extent, but its effectiveness in preventing and fighting cancer still needs to be demonstrated.

This article was scientifically reviewed by Ruan Guangfeng, Director of the Business Department of Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center.