Surprising
Higher selenium levels tied to a 27% lower risk of advanced prostate cancer — but only when measured in toenails, not blood or diet.
This is one of the first large meta-analyses to link selenium specifically to advanced prostate cancer, but the finding relies on observational data where selenium was measured in toenails (a long-term marker), and the studies varied so much that the result should be treated as preliminary, not definitive.
Analyzing data from nearly 17,000 participants, researchers found that people with higher selenium levels had a 27% lower risk of advanced prostate cancer. However, the benefit was not statistically significant for prostate cancer overall, and the studies used different ways to measure selenium (toenail, blood, or diet), which may explain why the results varied widely. Because this is among the first major analyses on this specific link, the finding is intriguing but far from settled.
Where this fits in the evidence
This is among the first studies we've indexed on Selenium for Reduced Advanced Prostate Cancer Risk — treat it as an early signal until more research accumulates.
The study
- Meta-Analysis
- 2025-10-01
- Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP
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