January 2026 - Seleniumfacts.com

Low serum concentrations of selenoprotein P (SELENOP) are an indication of increased heart health risks. Low serum SELENOP is strongly associated with the following risks:

increased risk of a first cardiovascular event
increased risk of cardiovascular mortality
increased risk of all-cause mortality

Scene from Scandinavia - a selenium-poor region. — Selenium is a scarce resource. It is a non-renewable resource. Selenium deficiency is a health problem for one half to one billion people in the world. The UK, the Nordic countries, and the Baltic countries are among the selenium-poor regions in the world.

This is the conclusion from a relatively large study of adults in Sweden. The study participants had no history of cardiovascular disease at the beginning of the study [Schomburg 2019].

There were 3,531 non-smokers and 835 smokers enrolled in the study in Sweden. At the end of the study, the study participants at increased risk of cardiovascular disease had a mean serum SELENOP level below 4.3 mg/L SELENOP. This serum concentration of SELENOP corresponds to serum selenium concentrations of less than 70 mcg/L [Schomburg 2019]. read more

In sports, in exercise, and in training, selenium is a frequently overlooked micronutrient. Selenium’s fundamental importance to human health is not well known. Researchers are beginning to conduct studies of selenium in sports nutrition and skeletal muscle health. Their studies show that selenium and selenoproteins play an important role in maintaining skeletal muscle function. Studies show that selenoproteins delay exercise fatigue and muscle aging [Wang 2025].

Football player — **In selenium-poor regions of the world, athletes and individuals who exercise strenuously may need a daily selenium supplement.**

Optimal selenium intake from food and from supplements (when necessary) can mitigate aging-related muscle decline. Selenium can help to prevent exercise-associated musculoskeletal injuries. There is a need for more clinical studies of the effect of selenium supplementation on skeletal muscle health in selenium-poor regions [Wang 2025]. read more

Milestones in early selenium research

1817 Swedish chemist Jöns Jakob Berzelius discovers selenium

1957 Biochemist Klaus Schwarz shows that selenium in microscopic amounts has a vital importance for mammalian health

1969 Professor J.T. Rotruck discovers that selenium has a biochemical role as a component of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase

1969 Professors R.J. Shamberger and D.V. Frost report a possible protective effect of selenium against cancer in humans

1973 Professor J.T. Rotruck identifies the enzyme glutathione peroxidase as a selenium-dependent protein

1977 Professor G.N. Schrauzer publishes cancer mortality correlation studies showing an inverse correlation between dietary intakes of selenium and cancer mortality in 27 countries

1988 Professor G.Q Yang summarizes the lessons learned about the selenium-related endemic diseases Keshan disease and Kashin-Beck disease and about the importance of adequate daily selenium intakes

1989 Professor G.G. Duthie publishes evidence for a role of selenium in the prevention of cardiovascular disease

1993 Researcher W.J. Blot publishes the results of the Nutrition Intervention Trials in Linxian, China, showing that supplementation with a combination of selenium and other antioxidants reduces the risk of cancer

1994 Professor G.N. Schrauzer publishes evidence that selenium is important in the maintenance and therapy of HIV-infected patients

1996 Professor Larry Clark publishes the results of a randomized controlled trial – the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer study -- that shows selenium's cancer-protective effects on colon cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer

1997 Professor G.F. Combs summarizes the evidence for the protective effects of selenium against cancer

1999 Professor J.E. Oldfield publishes his Selenium World Atlas, mapping areas of selenium deficiency around the world

2000 Researcher O.A. Levander publishes evidence showing an anti-viral effect of selenium

2002 Researcher R. Gärtner shows that supplementation with selenium reduces inflammation in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis

2002 Researcher Margaret Rayman presents the arguments for increasing selenium intakes to realize selenium’s antioxidant and anti-viral and anti-inflammatory effects as well as selenium’s enhancement of immune function and reproductive success.

Month: January 2026

Selenoprotein P and Heart Health

Selenium and Sports Nutrition