Selenium compound supplementation

Selenium compound supplementation involves administering selenium in various chemical forms (such as selenomethionine, sodium selenite, selenate, and selenium-enriched yeast) to prevent or correct deficiency in humans and animals. Selenium is a trace mineral essential for health, primarily acting through selenoproteins that have antioxidant, redox-regulatory, thyroid-metabolic, and immunological functions. These selenoproteins include glutathione peroxidases, thioredoxin reductases, and deiodinases, among others. Selenium deficiency is associated with cardiomyopathy (Keshan disease), cartilage and bone disease (Kashin-Beck), immune impairment, and neurological disorders, while excess supplementation can lead to toxicity and increased risk of diabetes. Selenium supplementation is not a classic therapeutic target but rather a nutritional intervention aimed at normalizing selenium-dependent biological functions and preventing deficiency diseases.

Other names

Selenium supplementationdietary selenium supplementationselenium compounds

Not applicable in classical sense; selenium compounds are absorbed and incorporated into selenoproteins, which then exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, thyroid regulatory, and immune-modulating activities