Nutrition
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Short-term preoperative supplementation of an immunoenriched diet does not improve clinical outcome in well-nourished patients undergoing abdominal cancer surgery.
A recent study suggested that the anti-inflammatory effect of immunonutrition starts after only two d. We therefore investigated the effect of an immunoenriched oral diet administered for three d preoperatively. ⋯ Preoperative oral supplementation with an immunoenriched diet for 3 d preoperatively did not improve postoperative outcome compared with the placebo in well-nourished patients with elective gastrointestinal cancer surgery.
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Selenium is a metalloid element with the atomic number 34. It is one of the elements that determine the normal functioning of an organism; it has antioxidant properties and protects the organism against the actions of free radicals and carcinogenic factors. Selenium is an element that fulfills an important physiologic function, but there is a fine line between the concentration that still has beneficial effects on an organism and that at which selenium begins exerting toxic effects. ⋯ Studies clearly indicate that selenium-containing yeast can be an effective, safe, and natural source of dietary selenium. In general, the selenium content of various diets can differ significantly depending on the food items and, more importantly their geographical origin and the respective soil selenium content. Thus, it seems advisable to pay attention to the use of this element in the manufacture of high-quality consumer goods, including finished protein-mineral preparations that enrich those diets that are deficient in selenium.