Selenium is an essential mineral that comes in many chemical forms. Although selenium-rich diets appear capable of protecting people against several cancers, a new federal study has found that selenium eaten as a pure compound may not protect as well as selenium consumed as a part of food.
John W. Finley of the Agricultural Department’s Grand Forks (N.D.) Human Nutrition Research Center enriched the diets of rats with selenium for 12 weeks.
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