High levels of nickel and selenium in the body may reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, reports Gut.
Both nickel and selenium are trace elements that are present in the body in minimal amounts. However, studies show that even these small amounts reduce the risk of developing the most common type of pancreatic cancer. The highest levels of nickel and selenium were associated with 35 to 95 percent rarer. the occurrence of pancreatic cancer
High levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium had the opposite effect. In people with the highest levels of arsenic or cadmium, pancreatic cancer appeared 3,5 times more often than in those with the lowest levels, and in the case of lead, the difference was even six-fold.
Scientists measured the level of 12 elements in clipped toenails of 118 patients with the most common – exocrine – form of pancreatic cancer, and nearly 400 hospital patients who did not develop the cancer. Nails allow you to precisely examine the content of trace elements in the body for a long time.
While the exact causes of pancreatic cancer remain unclear, about a third of cases are known to be related to smoking. Tobacco contains trace amounts of heavy metals, including cadmium, which also promotes lung, kidney and prostate cancer.
Also reading: The cause of allergic reactions to nickel has been discovered