PowerLeg Concept

| View | Upload your own

The Moon Goddess’ Role in Human Health by Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD

Out of the 92 elements that exist in nature, 25 make up the human body. The largest one is iodine (atomic weight 126.9), followed by molybdenum (95.9). Selenium (78.96) is third.


Selenium was discovered in 1817 and named after Selene, the Greek Goddess of the Moon. This element is a member of the Group 16 (VIA) family of elements in the periodic table, along with oxygen, its sister sulfur, and the metalloid elements tellurium and polonium. Soil contains selenium in minute and variable amounts. The concentration of selenium in the earth’s crust is less than that of gold. Plants take up selenium from the soil and propagate it through the food chain. Brazil nuts, in particular, like selenium. Selenium was identified as an essential trace element for mammals in 1957, and investigators now have determined that the cells of all organisms, bacterial, animal, and non-animal, need selenium.


Two amino acids, among the 20 that the body uses to make proteins, contain sulfur – methionine and cysteine. Selenium has similar chemistry and replaces the sulfur atom in these amino acids. Selenocysteine, selenium bound to cysteine, a "21st" amino acid, is the active site in some 35 proteins. Several are enzymes. Glutathione peroxidase, with four selenium atoms, is a powerful antioxidant. Iodothyronine deiodinase converts the thyroid hormone T4 (thyroxine) into its active form T3 (triiodothyronine). Since this enzyme requires selenium to function properly a deficiency of selenium can cause hypothyroidism. Thioredoxin reductase regenerates antioxidant systems and regulates gene expression. All living things contain this selenium-dependent enzyme (Protein Sci 2003;12:372–378).


The proteins that selenium seed have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune enhancing properties that altogether foster a long, healthy life. Selenium blood levels tend to fall as people age. In one study, investigators followed 1,300 people age 60–71 years for 9 years and found that those with the greatest decrease in blood selenium had the highest likelihood of cognitive decline. The same study showed that people with a low selenium blood level also had a shorter life span.


A growing body of evidence indicates that selenium can prevent cancer. Studies show that low selenium blood levels are associated with an increased risk of cancer. One done in Finland showed that people with low selenium bloods levels are much more likely to develop lung cancer, especially if they smoke, than smokers and nonsmokers with high selenium levels.


Another one, the Harvard Health Professionals Cohort study in 34,000 men, found that men with the lowest selenium levels had three times the likelihood of developing advanced prostate cancer compared with those who had the highest levels. These and other epidemiological, cohort, and case control studies suggest that selenium plays a role in cancer prevention. Now, however, there is strong scientific evidence that selenium does indeed reduce the risk of cancer. Evidence from a well-conducted randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial proves beyond a reasonable doubt that this is the case.


The Nutritional Prevention of Cancer (NPC) trial recruited 1300 patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer who were randomized to receive 200 mcg of selenium a day or a placebo for a mean 4½ years. Selenium decreased the overall incidence of all cancers by 35% and cancer mortality by 50%. Prostrate cancer decreased by 63%; colorectal cancer, by 58%; and the incidence of lung cancer decreased by 46%.


Antioxidant protection and enhanced immune surveillance are two mechanisms researchers have proposed to account for selenium’s anticancer effect. Others include enhancement of apoptosis (programmed cell death), regulation of cell proliferation, suppression of angiogenesis (growth of blood vessels supplying nutrients to the cancer), and inhibition of tumor cell invasion.


In 2000, the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board (in the Institute of Medicine) revised the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for selenium, setting it at 55 mcg per day (it had been 70 mcg/day for men and 55 mcg/day for women). This is the "nutritional" dose, said to be adequate for 98 percent of the population. It is based on two studies that show this amount of selenium supports the maximal expression of glutathione peroxidase, which is regarded as fully discharging the nutritional effects of this element. A supranutritional dose is one that is 5 to 10 times higher than the RDA and not toxic. The government-funded experts who set the RDA for selenium did not take into account the NPC trial results, reported in 1996, four years earlier, that shows that a dose four times higher (200 mcg) has an anticancer effect.


A recently published study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, which does not like supplements, warns that selenium “may” increase the risk for type 2 diabetes. This study is badly flawed. One of its major defects, among others, is that the investigators did not do any blood tests for diabetes at the start of the trial (where subjects were randomized to take selenium or a placebo) and relied simply on what the study subjects told them. Only 4% said that they had diabetes, whereas the true prevalence of diabetes in people their age, >60 years old, is 16.0% in men and 14.4% in women; and undiagnosed diabetes is present in an additional 7.9% of men and 4.2% women (Diabetes Care 2006;29(6):1263–1268). This study is not credible and is no cause for alarm. People with diabetes can take selenium without being concerned that it might make their diabetes worse.


The Moon Goddess’ element has other beneficial effects on human health. The heart does not function well without selenium. Heart failure can occur after weight loss (bariatric) surgery due to selenium deficiency resulting from malabsorption, which resolves when selenium is administered intravenously (J Trace Elements Med Biol 2004;18:81–88). And researchers have shown that selenium helps the heart recover after it is temporarily deprived of oxygen, something surgeons do in performing heart surgery.


Selenium stimulates the immune system and has been shown to be effective in treating sepsis (blood stream infection). Studies show that it increases the number of T cells circulating through the body, both CD4 helper T cells and CD8 cytotoxic (killer) T cells. Even given a good dietary intake (120–134 mcg/day), selenium supplementation still has considerable immunoenhancing effects.


Selenium also affects male fertility. It is required for synthesis of testosterone and to keep sperm structurally intact. Experts in animal husbandry recognize that selenium is essential for successful reproduction. In the U.S., soil scientists reckon that selenium deficiency is a major problem for livestock and wildlife in at least 37 states.

A dose of vitamin D could add years to your life

A simple course of vitamin D could help you live longer, say researchers.

Trials involving 57,000 people found that those who took supplements regularly were less likely to die over the six-year period.

Scientists have already shown that a deficiency of vitamin D may be to blame for 600,000 cancer cases each year. Other studies have linked low levels of the vitamin with heart disease and diabetes.

Now it is being credited with reducing the risk of death from any causes.

In the latest research, published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine, results from 57,000 people in 18 separate trials of vitamin D supplements were analysed.

They received varying doses, with an average 528 International Units - about the level in commercial supplements.

Over almost six years, 4,777 participants died, while those who took vitamin D had a 7 per cent lower risk of death than those who did not.

The latest study was carried out by the International Agency for Research on Cancer at Lyon and the European Institute of Oncology in Milan.

They reported: "The intake of ordinary doses of vitamin D supplements seems to be associated with decreases in total mortality rates. Interventions effectively strengthening vitamin D status should result in reduced total mortality."

The vitamin's function is only partly understood but it is known to slow the rate of growth of cancer cells and help the immune system.

It is produced naturally in the body through exposure to sunlight and U.S. researchers last month linked higher cancer rates in northern European countries to lower levels of sunshine.
Pamela Mason from the Health Supplement Information Service said: "This is an exciting study.
"There have been a number of studies showing low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with a higher risk of various diseases.

"This latest research shows a reduction in the risk of death over a substantial timespan among people taking supplements.

Supplements are available in two forms, vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Researchers recommend vitamin D3 because it is more active and effective.

Vitamin D is found in salmon, tuna and other oily fish, and is routinely added to milk.

30 Tips To Happiness [ Part 3 ]

21. Autonomy. Try to have at least one area in your life where you have autonomy. It's best if this is at work, but if not, find another place, such as a hobby or civic activity. You need to be in control of what you do to be happy.

22. Spend time doing something you love. Make room in your life by eliminating some of the commitments you don't really like doing, and replacing them with something you truly love.

23. Show little acts of kindness. Each day, try to be kind to others in little ways, opening doors, smiling, giving up your place in line.

24. Exercise. Just a short walk or run could lift your spirits and reduce stress. Nothing difficult. Just get outside and move.

25. Catch negative thoughts. Monitor your thoughts. When you catch negative ones, try to think of something good instead. Corny, but it helps.

26. Jealousy doesn't help. Many people obsess about others who are successful or happy. That gets you nowhere, fast. Instead, be happy for them. Then focus on yourself, and what you do right.

27. Stop watching and reading news. Sure, this sounds like a head-in-the-sand suggestion. But really, if you give this a try, you won't miss a thing. And instead, you can focus on reading books and listening to music that lifts you up.

28. Learn something new. It's strange how many of us are afraid to try new things, or admit we don't know something. But learning new skills or new information is one of the most fun things there is to do. Give it a try.

29. Check out nature. Go and watch a sunrise or sunset. Watch the water, whether that's a river or ocean or lake. Watch the stars, or the clouds. Watch animals. Watch people. Watch children. And be inspired by it all.

30. Laugh some more. When you are in the middle of a bad situation, look around you, realize the absurdity of the situation, and just laugh. In a year, no one will care. In two years, you'll be laughing at this anyway. So laugh now, and be happy now.

30 Tips To Happiness [ Part 2 ]

11. This shall pass. When bad things happen, and you're having trouble accepting it, think to yourself the same thing the ancients did: "This, too, shall pass." And it will. And you'll survive.

12. Volunteer. When you give to others, whether that's money or the stuff you no longer need or your time and love, you become happier. It's true. Take 5 minutes today to call a charity and volunteer to donate some time sometime this month. It will make a big difference in your life.

13. Follow your passions. If you do what you love to do, especially for a living, you wil be extremely happy. This is one of the best things you can do. If it seems impossible, don't give up. Others have done it and you can too.

14. Look at your achievements. Instead of looking at what you haven't done, or what you've failed at, think about what you have done. Many times that's much more than we realize.

15. Laugh. Just the simple act of laughing can make you happier. Watch a funny movie, tell jokes, read a book by Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett, go to humor sites on the Internet. And laugh your head off.

16. Realize that you deserve it. You deserve happiness. That simple statement is actually profound for many people, as they don't believe they really deserve to be happy. It's often unconscious. If you feel that within yourself, you need to first realize that you deserve happiness. Repeat it if necessary.

17. Get into the flow. There is a state of doing known as Flow, which is when you completely lose yourself in a task and forget about the world around you. It leads to happiness, and productivity. Set yourself up for it by clearing distractions, giving yourself a challenging (but accomplishable) task, and making it something that you like doing. Then try to lose yourself in that task.

18. Have a goal. Too many goals will lead to ineffectiveness. Try to choose one goal and really focus on it. And work to accomplish it. Goals lead to happiness, if you make progress on them.

19. Get inspired. Take time to read blogs or books or magazine articles about success stories related to what you want to do. It will get you energized.

20. Celebrate. When you do something right, when you accomplish something, when you feel like it, reward yourself. Celebrate. Have fun, and pat yourself on the back.

30 Tips to Happiness [ Part 1 ]

1. Experiment to find out what makes you happy. Different things make different people happy. If you aren't sure what your hot spots are, experiment. Try different things out. Find out what you enjoy most. The answers just might surprise you. Try a few of the following for starters.



2. Surround yourself with others who are happy. If you are around angry, depressed or sad people, it will transfer to you. You can't help it. But if you're around people who are happy, that will also transfer to you. You'll also learn their habits, and learn to react the way they do when something bad happens. Slowly weed out the negative influences on your life and replace them with positive ones.



3. Count your blessings. When something bad happens to you, try not to focus on it. Instead, take a minute to count your blessings. Everyone has good things in their lives, whether it is health or loved ones or whatever.



4. Gratitude sessions. Along those lines, it is a good practice to have a daily gratitude session. Think about what you have to be thankful for, and silently thank those who have done something good for you in some way. If you have time, take the time to call them or email them to thank them.



5. Think solutions. Instead of thinking about problems, move to the next step: how to solve it. When someone says to me, "Oh, this is so hard," or "Oh, I can't seem to do this," or "Man, we don't have any more of that," I just ask them, "Well, what's the solution?" If you develop solution-oriented thinking, you'll be much happier.



6. Connect with others. As much as possible, spend time with those you love, and with others who you enjoy. It could be a simple phone call, or a short visit. Or take a day with the person or people you'd like to spend time with. Have a conversation, do things together, be intimate.



7. Accept things. We are often unaware of it, but we usually want things or people or ourselves to change. And that's a sure way to lead to unhappiness, because we cannot control the world. We have to accept things as they are, try to understand them, even love them. Including and most especially ourselves: accept who you are, allow yourself to be yourself, try to understand and love yourself. Then do the same with the others in your life.



8. Take time to savor life. Instead of rushing from one thing to another, resolve to have less to do each day, less appointments and fewer tasks. Then do each thing slowly, with mindfulness and ease, and try to be present in the moment. And truly enjoy whatever it is you do, from talking to eating to walking to just sitting.



9. Notice small things. Along the same lines, try to notice when you feel good, or you're not suffering, or you are tasting something really delicious, or you feel something cold or hot, anything. Noticing the little things will help keep you focused on the present.



10. Treat yourself. Take a few minutes each day to give yourself a little treat, whether that's something like chocolate or berries, or a bubble bath, or walking barefoot in the grass, or taking a nap. Whatever it is, treat yourself. You deserve it.

Lost Your Focus?

We all know how important it is to be focused on what we want.But what happens when we lose focus?

We get distracted when something captures our interest and diverts our attention away from our chosen objective.

We suffer setbacks. Things don't work out as planned. Circumstances change and good plans go bad.

We get interrupted. An important matter takes precedence --sometimes for long periods of time.

We, or members of our team, get sick or hurt. We don't have the energy we had before and often find it slow to get back in the game.

These things happen to everyone. And we have to be careful we don't think we're being singled out. The "Why is this happening to me?" question gets us nowhere.

We must first recognize that we've lost focus. And at the earliest opportunity, we must recommit. We have to get backon the horse we fell off from and ride again.

And this is what separates the winners from the losers.

The loser says it's too hard. He says it's not worth the effort. He thinks it's just "not in the cards" and he quits.

But the winner doesn't take the setback personally. She dusts herself off and recommits to the plan. She sees the setback as just that -- a setback -- not a sign that it'snot to be.

What do you need to refocus upon? Is it a positive habit? A goal? A toleration you said you'd eliminate?

Revisit your reasons why. Focus on the results you will produce and not on what's not worked well. Because what you focus on expands.

Today's a new day. The past is just as historic as if it had happened a thousand years ago. You can't change what'shappened or not happened. But you can recommit. You can refocus.

Copyright Success Networks International. Part of SuccessNet's mission is to position you for success. Complimentarysubscriptions, eCourses, memberships, eBooks and SuccessMarkCards available through the following link:http://getmotivation.com/successnet/