Both men and women benefit similarly from higher selenium intake in reducing their risk of colorectal cancer, even though the specific parts of the colon affected differ between the sexes.
Evidence from Studies
No evidence studies found yet.
What Would Prove This
Per GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this claim, ordered from strongest to weakest.
Whether the protective effect of selenium on colorectal cancer is consistently similar in men and women across diverse populations, resolving conflicting reports.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies reporting sex-stratified selenium intake and CRC incidence, including at least 20 studies with individual-level data and adjustment for confounders, testing for sex interaction.
Whether selenium supplementation reduces CRC incidence equally in men and women over time.
A double-blind RCT of 3,000 adults aged 50–70 (1,500 men, 1,500 women) with no prior CRC, randomized to 200 μg/day selenium or placebo for 10 years, with colonoscopy surveillance and CRC incidence as primary outcome, stratified by sex.
Whether selenium intake predicts CRC incidence with similar effect sizes in men and women over time.
A prospective cohort of 12,000 Korean adults (6,000 men, 6,000 women) aged 45–65, with baseline selenium intake measured by repeated FFQs, followed for 20 years with cancer registry linkage, testing for sex interaction in Cox regression.
Whether selenium intake is similarly associated with CRC risk in men and women, as observed in this study.
A population-based case-control study with 1,420 CRC cases and 2,840 controls, stratified by sex, with selenium intake assessed via FFQ and adjusted for confounders, as performed in this study.
Whether selenium intake and CRC prevalence are similarly associated in men and women at a single point in time.
A cross-sectional survey measuring selenium intake and CRC diagnosis in 5,000 men and 5,000 women aged 50+ in Korea at one time point, without longitudinal follow-up.