Selenium Supplementation: Benefits and Drawbacks on Disease States - Abstract
Selenium is a trace mineral that has been shown to have an important role in immune function and metabolism. It is involved in reducing inflammation from oxidative stress and free radicals. Insufficient selenium intake affects 1 billion people worldwide. Selenium deficiency symptoms are varied, however, most commonly reported are: depressed mood, confusion, muscle weakness, hair loss, and infertility. Despite selenium being a micronutrient, deficiency can have detrimental effect on patients either inducing autoimmune or pathogenic diseases. Currently, the most optimal approach to prevent the deficiency is through a balanced diet. Several studies have explored selenium supplementation to determine whether it can improve patients’ health and/or prevent reoccurrence of a disease. This review evaluates selenium, based on major body system diseases: skeletal, coronary, excretory and alimentary, cancer, HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis, etc., with discussion on the benefits of supplements.