October 2026 - Seleniumfacts.com

What is selenium’s effect on cardiovascular disease risk?

Vegetables as part of a healthy diet — **In regions with poor selenium content in the soil and the crops, eating a healthy diet may not ensure an optimal selenium nutritional status.**

Chen et al say that “oxidative stress, redox signaling, endothelial activation, and inflammation contribute to atherosclerosis and myocardial injury”. So, there is a mechanistic rationale for selenium to have a cardioprotective effect. “Selenium-dependent enzymes provide a plausible connection because glutathione peroxidases and thioredoxin reductases participate in peroxide reduction and redox regulation” [Chen 2026].

Are selenium status and cardiovascular disease related?

Generally, observational studies show low selenium status associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, interventional studies have not shown clearly that selenium supplementation reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases [Chen 2026].

Chen et al analyzed the relevant research for the period 2005-2026. They concluded that there is not enough evidence to support a program of universal selenium supplement for protection against cardiovascular disease [Chen 2026]. 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: October 2026

Selenium Status and Cardiovascular Diseases

What is selenium’s effect on cardiovascular disease risk?

Are selenium status and cardiovascular disease related?