Tag: SARS-Cov2 virus

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Selenium Supplementation and COVID-19

There is, at present, an ongoing scientific debate about selenium supplementation and the possible prevention of COVID-19 disease. What is the evidence that selenium supplementation of individuals with sub-optimal selenium status might help to prevent the infection?

Margaret P. Rayman, selenium researcher
Margaret P. Rayman, Professor of Nutritional Medicine at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, is a long-time researcher into the effects of selenium and iodine on human health.

The answer from a group of longstanding selenium researchers is that selenium supplementation does not have “a sufficient direct antiviral effect to prevent infection.” Instead, selenium supplementation acts “by decreasing the harmful effects of the virus on the host” [Rayman 2024].

Selenium supplementation “does not necessarily prevent infection but rather decreases the severity and mortality resulting from the infection” [Rayman 2024]. The important thing to focus on is the interaction between the human host selenium status and infectious virus strain and virulence [Beck 2003]. read more

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Selenium and Selenoproteins and Viral Infections

Selenium is an essential micronutrient. Humans cannot synthesize it. Therefore, we must get it from our diets. The selenium content of our diets depends on the richness or poorness of the selenium in the soil and the food. In fact, there are surprisingly large differences in selenium content in various regions of the world [Zhang 2020a].

Woman sneezing
Selenium deficiency and reduced selenoprotein expression have been associated with the pathogenicity of several viruses.

Selenium through its incorporation into 25 known selenoproteins is necessary for a range of biological functions. Zhang et al [2020a] list the following biological functions of selenium and selenium-derived selenoproteins:

  • Antioxidant function
  • Anti-inflammatory function
  • Anti-viral function
  • Cellular redox function
  • Immune cell function
  • Protection of the cardiovascular system
Selenoprotein Functions Relevant to Viral Infections

Selenium and selenium-derived selenoproteins such as the glutathione peroxidases (GPXs), the thioredoxin reductases (TXNRDs), and the endoplasmic-reticulum-associated selenoproteins influence viral pathogenicity. Among other things, these antioxidant selenoenzymes reduce the extent of oxidative stress generated by viral pathogens. Failure to counteract oxidative stress can result in mutations in the viral genome from benign to highly virulent strains [Zhang 2020a]. read more