History of Selenium Research

✍ Scribed by Richard Morrill

• Publisher: Richard Morrill
• Year: 2024
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 103
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

My name is Richard Morrill.
I will be editing this seleniumfacts.com web-site, which, by the way, is also translated into Danish under the name selenmangel.dk, Norwegian under the name selenmangel.no and swedish under the name selenbrist.se.

Having lived for some years in Denmark, I understand the Scandinavian languages and share an interest in this part of Europe.

I am also the editor of the q10facts.com website where you can find numerous articles about the health benefits of the bio-nutrient Coenzyme Q10.

I am especially interested in the special inter-relationship between the micronutrient selenium and the bio-nutrient Coenzyme Q10, but my interest extends to all clinical studies of the safety and efficacy of selenium supplementation.

What are my credentials?

B.A., University of Maryland
M.Sc., University of Southern California
M.L.S., Indiana University
Ed.D., University of Massachusetts

What is my profession?

Research Librarian
Medical writer

What do I do on this website?

Search PubMed for articles reporting the results of randomized controlled trials of selenium supplementation
Read and analyze the randomized controlled trials
Summarize the methods and results and conclusions of the randomized controlled trials

I will put factually correct information about selenium supplementation on this web-site, and I will look forward to comments and questions from readers.

Disclamer

Statements on this website are those of the credited author of the article or message.

Articles and messages on this site are for information and education purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat any illness, disease, or other medical condition.

Recommendations, statements and other opinions expressed on this site have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Products, including vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements, and any statements made about those products on this page and throughout this site have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

Always consult with a qualified medical professional before making medication, diet, dietary supplement, exercise, or lifestyle changes or decisions.

✦ Table of Contents

Selenium discovered by Berzelius
Selenium: rare and unevenly distributed on Earth
Selenium in food
Selenium supplementation
Selenium in animal science
Selenium and selenoproteins: nutritional importance
Selenocysteine – the 21st amino acid
Supplementation levels and biochemical functions
Known selenoproteins
Bio-synthesis of selenoproteins
Functions of selenoproteins
Selenium speciation: all selenium compounds are not the same
Proportions of selenium species not well known
Interpretation of speciation results
High selenium yeast most effective in disease prevention
Producing a high selenium yeast supplement
As many as 30 species in high selenium yeast supplement
Speciation and bioavailability study
Selenium: the need for supplementation
Deficiency conditions in China
1912: Handwritten letter dated May 6, 1912, reporting the use of selenium by the French doctors Lancien and Thiroloix to treat a case of cancer of the tongue
1915: Early report in JAMA of the use of selenium for chemoprevention of cancer
1935: Mention in the British Medical Journal of success in treating breast cancer patients with selenium
1949: Clayton and Bauman report that tumor incidence was decreased by selenium supplementation
1957: Schwarz demonstrates the need for and the efficacy of selenium supplementation
1969: Shamberger and Frost report anti-carcinogenic effects of selenium
1973: Rotruck discovers that selenium is a component of the selenoprotein enzyme glutathione peroxidase
1977: Schrauzer does a world-wide analysis of blood-bank data
1978: Schrauzer reports 70% reduction in breast cancer incidence with selenium supplementation
Selenium: intakes, recommendations, and upper limits
Recommended dietary allowance
Tolerable upper intake level
Safe intake levels
Selenium: absorption, transport, storage, and elimination
Selenium: antioxidant protection against oxidative injury
Selenium containing antioxidant enzymes
Selenium: beneficial health effects
History of selenium supplementation by topic and by date
1993: Blot reports the results of the Linxian study
1994: Beginning of the French Su.Vi.Max study
1995: Prasad presents evidence of Indian cancer chemoprevention
1996: Clark releases the results of the four-year Nutritional Prevention of Cancer (NPC) study
1997: Yu reports a protective role for selenium against hepatitis B virus and primary liver cancer
1998: Clark reports effect of selenium on prostate cancer in the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer trial
1998-1999: PRECISE (PREvention of Cancer by Intervention with SElenium) study begins in Denmark and in the United Kingdom
PRECISE trials not completed because of lack of funding
Larsen and Rayman report selenium speciation and bioavailability data from the PRECISE pilot studies in Denmark and the United Kingdom
SELECT trial halted early
Understanding the SELECT study results
Synthetic unbound selenomethionine in the SELECT study
Higher baseline selenium status
Nonlinear association between selenium status and mortality
2005: Etminan does a meta-analysis of studies relating intake of selenium to the prevention of prostate cancer
2006: Reid studies the association between selenium supplementation and colorectal adenomas using data from the NPC trial
2011: Marshall investigates the use of selenomethionine in patients with premalignant lesions
2012: Goossens designs the SELEBLAT selenium and bladder cancer trial in Belgium
2013: Bonelli reports the results of antioxidant supplementation and long-term reduction of recurrent adenomas of the large bowel in Italy
2014: Vinceti updates the Cochrane review of selenium and cancer studies
2014: Richie and El-Bayoumy compare efficacy of selenium-enriched yeast and selenomethionine tablets
2015: Karamali reports beneficial effects in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
2016: University of Arizona Cancer Center Selenium for Prevention of Adenomatous Colorectal Polyps trial nearing completion
1994: Kuklinski uses selenium and other antioxidants to treat acute heart attack patients
2006: Stranges does a secondary analysis of the effect of selenium on cardiovascular incidence and mortality
2010: Leong and Rosenfeldt report on antioxidant therapy before and after heart surgery
2011: Rayman tests the effect of supplementation with high-selenium yeast on plasma lipids
2013: Fedacko investigates the effect of combination selenium and Coenzyme Q10 on statin-associated myopathy
2013: Bogsrud reports no significant effect of combination Coenzyme Q10 and selenium on statin-induced myopathy
2013: Rees does systematic review for the Cochrane Database
2013 – 2015: Alehagen reports beneficial effects of combination Coenzyme Q10 and selenium supplementation in healthy elderly subjects
2015: Cold reports on the effect of selenium on cholesterol in Danish PRECISE pilot study
2016: Zhang does a meta-analysis of the selenium and cardiovascular disease research literature
Selenium and Thyroid Hormone Regulation
2011: Marcocci reports on selenium supplementation and well-being of Graves’ disease patients
2013: Bülow Pedersen reports low levels of serum selenium in Graves’ disease
2013: Van Zuuren does Cochrane review of efficacy of selenium supplementation in Hashimoto thyroiditis
2013: Drutel reviews the state of selenium and thyroid hormone research
2013: Watt initiates the GRASS trial of selenium supplementation in patients with Graves’ disease
2014: Winther initiates the CATALYST study of the effect of selenium on chronic autoimmune thyroiditis
2015: Winther reports on an investigation of the effect of selenium on thyroid function
Danish PRECISE study results different from UK PRECISE study results vis-à-vis thyroid function
Selenium and Defense against Heavy Metals
Mercury
Fish as a source of mercury
Amalgam fillings as a source of mercury
2000: Seppänen investigates the effect of selenium supplementation on the accumulation of mercury in the body
2012: Li reports on the effects of selenium supplementation in long-term mercury-exposed populations
Cadmium
1989: Wei shows the influence of selenium on cadmium concentration and excretion
Selenium and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Alzheimer’s disease
2011: Loef and Schrauzer report the results of a systematic review of the selenium and Alzheimer’s disease literature
2011: Kesse-Guyot reports on the effect of a daily antioxidant combination on memory
2012: Scheltens shows improved memory function with an antioxidant combination including selenium
2014: De Waal reports the preservation of brain networks in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease
2015: Cardoso shows that daily dietary supplementation with a Brazil nut improves cognitive performance
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Batten’s disease
Huntington’s disease
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
HIV/AIDS
2002: Burbano shows decreased numbers of hospital admissions with selenium supplementation
2008-2009: Kupka reports selenium supplementation reduces risk of infant mortality in Tanzania
2013: Baum reports efficacy of micronutrient supplementation including selenium in HIV-positive adults in Botswana
Selenium and Oxidative Stress
1997: Hussein evaluates the effect of selenium on oxidative damage in kidney transplant patients
2008: Skesters evaluates the effects of selenium in Chernobyl catastrophe clean-up workers
2008: Westermarck investigates the effect of selenium supplementation of HIV-infected outpatients on antioxidant status
2008: Larmane reports on the effects of antioxidant supplementation on oxidative stress
2008: Voicehovska assesses oxidative stress parameters in bronchial asthma patients after selenium supplementation
2014: Richie tests the effect of two different forms of selenium on bio-markers of oxidative stress
2015: Asemi tests the effect of selenium supplementation on inflammation and oxidative stress in pregnant women with gestational diabetes
Observational studies
2007: Differences between SELECT trial data and NPC trial data
2008: Cornell study shows absence of indicators of diabetes risk
2010: French study shows decreased diabetes risk
2012: Harvard study shows lower diabetes risk with higher toenail selenium
2012: Rayman investigates possible associations between selenium supplementation and type 2 diabetes
2015: Chinese study of dietary selenium intakes shows increased risk
2015: Mao does a meta-analysis of selenium supplementation and risk of type 2 diabetes
2016: Wang finds U-shaped relationship between selenium status and risk of diabetes
2016: Mao reports no adverse effect of selenium supplementation of pregnant women on insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance
Possible mechanisms relating selenium status to diabetes risk unclear
Observational studies
2007: Negro reports the influence of selenium supplementation on postpartum thyroid status
2011: Mokhber reports the effect of selenium supplementation on postpartum depression
2012: Boskabadi reports the effect of prenatal selenium supplementation on cord blood selenium and lipid profile
2014-2016: Rayman reports the results of the Selenium in Pregnancy Intervention (SPRINT) trial
2015: Asemi reports on the effects of selenium supplementation on glucose metabolism, inflammation, and oxidative stress in pregnant women
2016: Xu does a review of selenium and pre-eclampsia studies
Selenium and the Elderly
1988: Tolonen reports on antioxidant supplementation including selenium in the elderly
1989: Clausen reports on the clinical effects of an antioxidative supplementation of elderly individuals
2013-2016: Alehagen reports on the effects of combined selenium and Coenzyme Q10 supplementation in healthy elderly citizens (the KiSel-10 study)
Observational studies
1992: Clausen reports that selenium supplementation may decrease the level of oxidative stress associated with smoking
Summary
Conclusion
Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Thyroid function
HIV/AIDS
Asthma
Pregnancy
Elderly
Form and dosage
Sources