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Selenium (oral salts and chelates: selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenium yeast)

Mineral supplements. Trace elements

ATC code: A12CE-SELENIUM(Selenium (oral salts and chelates, generic group))

Brand names – supplements: Thorne Selenomethionine, Pure Encapsulations Selenium, Life Extension Super Selenium ComplexSupplements are not tested in clinical trials and are not registered as medications.

Updated · Methodology

Indications

A

Selenium deficiency

First line

Selenium preparations are first-line for confirmed selenium deficiency. Treatment dose: 100–200 µg elemental selenium daily for 1–3 months with plasma selenium monitoring. In residents of regions with low soil selenium (eastern Siberia, north-western Russia), supplementation at the RDA is reasonable on a varied diet but not mandatory. In patients on long-term parenteral nutrition, daily supplementation of 60–100 µg is standard.

Sources

  1. The Lancet: Selenium and human health (2012)
  2. Nutrition in Clinical Practice: A.S.P.E.N. Position Paper (2012)

ICD-10: E59 · ICD-11: 5B5K.7

B

Graves orbitopathy (thyroid eye disease)

Adjunct

Selenomethionine 100 µg twice daily for 6 months in patients with mild-to-moderate active thyroid eye disease showed improved quality of life and slowed disease progression in the NEJM 2011 RCT (159 patients). 2021 included selenium in mild Graves orbitopathy recommendations as a level A evidence agent. The effect is more pronounced in Europe (a low-selenium soil region); in the US and Japan the effect was smaller.

Use is justified only in the active phase of mild disease. In severe or sight-threatening disease: glucocorticoids, teprotumumab, orbital decompression.

Sources

  1. ETA: European Thyroid Association Guidelines on the Management of Graves Orbitopathy (2021)
  2. NEJM: Selenium and the course of mild Graves' orbitopathy (2011)

ICD-10: H06.2 · ICD-11: 9A20.00

C

Hashimoto thyroiditis (chronic autoimmune thyroiditis)

Individual decision

The 2013 Cochrane review showed a moderate reduction in TPO antibody titres with selenomethionine 200 µg daily in autoimmune thyroiditis. The clinical significance of antibody titre reduction is debated – long-term effects on progression to hypothyroidism, levothyroxine dose, or symptoms have not been confirmed in large RCTs. Russian endocrinology guidelines 2021 do not include selenium as first-line in Hashimoto thyroiditis. The decision is individualised.

Sources

  1. Cochrane: Selenium supplementation for Hashimoto thyroiditis (2013)

ICD-10: E06.3 · ICD-11: 5A03.20

Marketing claims without evidence base

The drug is promoted for these uses outside international guidelines. Each entry below is analyzed against AEMPS, FDA, EMA, Cochrane and major RCTs.

F

Anti-aging and longevity

Not recommended

Selenium is a trace element required in small amounts (recommended daily allowance 55 mcg for adults). Selenium is found in fish, meat, eggs, and Brazil nuts (1–2 nuts cover the daily requirement). In anti-aging regimens, selenium is sold to slow aging and extend life in people without deficiency. The Cochrane review by Vinceti 2018 showed that selenium supplementation in non-deficient people does not reduce cancer, cardiovascular events, or all-cause mortality; the large SELECT trial (JAMA 2009) was stopped early – selenium and vitamin E supplements in men did not reduce prostate cancer risk but increased type 2 diabetes risk. Selenium overdose causes selenosis: brittle hair and nails, hair loss, and neurological symptoms. If selenium is being taken for longevity, consider seeking a second opinion.

Sources

  1. Cochrane: Selenium supplementation for cancer prevention (2018)
F

Cancer prevention

Not recommended

The large SELECT RCT (35,533 men, 7 years of follow-up, JAMA 2009) showed no protective effect of selenium 200 µg and vitamin E 400 IU daily on prostate or other cancers. In a subset of patients, prostate cancer risk increased in the selenium arm. Cochrane 2018 confirmed no effect of selenium on cancer prevention or all-cause mortality in non-selenium-deficient people. Selenium for cancer prevention is not supported by international guidelines.

Sources

  1. Cochrane: Selenium supplementation for cancer prevention (2018)
  2. JAMA: Effect of Selenium and Vitamin E on Risk of Prostate Cancer (SELECT) (2009)
How to read tiers A–F
  • AStrong evidence – first or second line in international guidelines
  • BRecommended in selected cases
  • CStudy data contradict each other
  • DBenefit not proven, no documented harm
  • FDocumented harm, or risk without benefit

Mechanism of action

Selenium is a component of selenoproteins (more than 25 identified in humans), including glutathione peroxidases (antioxidant defence), iodothyronine deiodinases (thyroid hormone conversion from T4 to T3), and thioredoxin reductases (redox regulation). An essential trace element. Soil and food selenium content varies markedly by geography: eastern Siberia, north-western regions of Russia, and north-eastern China are low-selenium regions.

Safety

Contraindications

  • Hypersensitivity to selenium
  • Selenosis (any signs of overdose)
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding at doses above the RDA

Serious adverse effects

  • Selenosis: brittle hair and nails, dermatitis, peripheral neuropathy with long-term doses above 800 µg daily
  • Hepatic cirrhosis and cardiomyopathy in severe chronic intoxication

Common adverse effects

  • Garlic breath at doses above 400 µg daily
  • Nausea, epigastric discomfort
  • Metallic taste

Uncommon adverse effects

  • Skin rash, pruritus
  • Fatigue, irritability

Pregnancy: can you take Selenium (oral salts and chelates: selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenium yeast)?

Safe at physiological doses (60 µg daily). Doses above 200 µg daily in pregnancy are not recommended. In pregnant women with confirmed deficiency, supplementation is monitored by plasma levels.

Breastfeeding: can you take Selenium (oral salts and chelates: selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenium yeast)?

Actively secreted into breast milk. Maternal supplementation at physiological doses is safe and increases milk selenium in deficient mothers.

Calculate RID

Reference information, not a clinical decision. Discuss feeding pauses or changes with your physician or an IBCLC.

Practical notes

Timing and administration

Take regardless of meals. Selenomethionine and selenium yeast are absorbed better than inorganic forms (sodium selenite). Combination with vitamin C slightly enhances absorption.

Dose titration

Adult RDA: 55 µg (60 µg for women). Prophylactic supplement dose: 50–100 µg daily. Treatment dose for deficiency: 100–200 µg daily. For mild Graves orbitopathy: 100 µg twice daily for 6 months. Upper tolerable intake level (UL): 400 µg daily. Doses above 800 µg daily long-term cause selenosis.

Monitoring

With long-term high doses (above 200 µg daily), monitor plasma selenium. Signs of selenosis: garlic odour of breath and skin, brittle hair and nails, dermatitis, peripheral neuropathy, and in severe cases hepatic cirrhosis.

Food and drinks

Dietary sources: Brazil nuts (1–2 nuts cover the RDA), marine fish (tuna, sardines), meat, eggs, whole grains, mushrooms. Food selenium content directly depends on regional soil selenium. Residents of selenium-deficient regions are advised to include seafood or products from selenium-rich regions.

Common myths

Myth: “selenium prevents cancer”. Fact: the SELECT RCT (over 35,000 men) did not confirm a protective effect; in a subgroup selenium increased prostate cancer risk. Cochrane 2018: no effect on cancer incidence.

Myth: “selenium is good for everyone's thyroid”. Fact: the effect on AIT antibody titre reduction is modest, on clinical outcomes – not proven. In patients without confirmed selenium deficiency and without AIT, supplementation is unjustified.

Myth: “more selenium, less ageing”. Fact: in non-deficient people, the effect is not proven. Selenium in excess is toxic – doses above 400 µg daily long-term cause selenosis. The safety window between the RDA (55 µg) and toxic doses is narrow.

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Frequently asked

What is Selenium (oral salts and chelates: selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenium yeast) used for?

Selenium (oral salts and chelates: selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenium yeast) is evaluated for the following indications with varying evidence strength: Selenium deficiency (evidence tier A), Graves orbitopathy (thyroid eye disease) (evidence tier B), Hashimoto thyroiditis (chronic autoimmune thyroiditis) (evidence tier C). See the full indication matrix with dosing and citations above on this page.

What are the side effects of Selenium (oral salts and chelates: selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenium yeast)?

Common side effects of Selenium (oral salts and chelates: selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenium yeast) (≥ 1 in 100): Garlic breath at doses above 400 µg daily, Nausea, epigastric discomfort, Metallic taste. See the Safety section for uncommon and serious reactions.

Is Selenium (oral salts and chelates: selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenium yeast) safe during pregnancy?

Safe at physiological doses (60 µg daily). Doses above 200 µg daily in pregnancy are not recommended. In pregnant women with confirmed deficiency, supplementation is monitored by plasma levels.

Is Selenium (oral salts and chelates: selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenium yeast) compatible with breastfeeding?

Actively secreted into breast milk. Maternal supplementation at physiological doses is safe and increases milk selenium in deficient mothers.

Who should not take Selenium (oral salts and chelates: selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenium yeast)?

Selenium (oral salts and chelates: selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenium yeast) is contraindicated in: Hypersensitivity to selenium; Selenosis (any signs of overdose); Pregnancy and breastfeeding at doses above the RDA. Full list in the Safety section.

“selenium prevents cancer”

the SELECT RCT (over 35,000 men) did not confirm a protective effect; in a subgroup selenium increased prostate cancer risk. Cochrane 2018: no effect on cancer incidence.

“selenium is good for everyone's thyroid”

the effect on AIT antibody titre reduction is modest, on clinical outcomes – not proven. In patients without confirmed selenium deficiency and without AIT, supplementation is unjustified.

“more selenium, less ageing”

in non-deficient people, the effect is not proven. Selenium in excess is toxic – doses above 400 µg daily long-term cause selenosis. The safety window between the RDA (55 µg) and toxic doses is narrow.

Other drugs in this group

Zinc (oral salts: picolinate, citrate, gluconate, oxide, acetate), Boron, Calcium (oral salts: carbonate, citrate, lactate, gluconate), Calcium carbonate, Calcium D-glucarate, Magnesium (oral salts: citrate, glycinate, oxide, sulfate), Manganese, Calcium + Cholecalciferol