March 2026 - Seleniumfacts.com

What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (abbreviated as IBD)? IBD is a complex disorder in the gastrointestinal tract. Many factors influence the development of IBD: genetics, immune system dysfunction, gut microbiota disturbances, and environmental influences. The prevalence of IBD worldwide is steadily rising [Gorini & Tonacci 2025].

Pain au chocolat — Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease can eat carbohydrates and chocolate in moderation. Tolerance may depend upon whether the individual is in a flare or in remission. Selenium status is often low in individuals diagnosed with IBD.

What is typical of IBD? Primarily, IBD includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD involves a chronic inflammatory condition in the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms of IBD vary. They include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and weight loss [Gorini & Tonacci 2025].

Typically, Crohn’s disease is more prevalent in women. Ulcerative colitis is more common in men. Gorini & Tonacci [2025] report that women diagnosed with IBD tend to have a worse quality of life characterized by more anxiety and depression than is the case for men. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to have surgery and generally have a higher risk of mortality. 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: March 2026

Selenium for Inflammatory Bowel Disease