Can selenium reduce the symptoms of ulcerative colitis? Original paper

In this randomized controlled trial, supplementation with selenium in adults with mild–moderate active ulcerative colitis (UC) decreased UC symptoms and the levels of one biomarker of inflammation and increased UC-related quality of life.

The effect of supplementation with selenium on ulcerative colitis (UC) symptoms, as assessed with the Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI).

The secondary outcomes were the clinical improvement rate (the percentage of participants with a reduction of  3 or more points on the SCCAI), clinical remission rate (the percentage of participants with an SCCAI score of 2 or less at the end of the study), UC-related quality of life assessed with the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire-9 (IBDQ), and serum levels of the inflammatory biomarkers interleukin 10 (IL-10) and interleukin 17 (IL-17).

89 men and women (average age of 36) with mild–moderate active UC (SCCAI of 5–12).

A 10-week randomized controlled trial was conducted in which the participants took capsules containing either 200 micrograms of selenomethionine or a placebo. The participants were instructed to maintain their usual diet during the trial. On weeks 1 and 10, dietary intake was assessed using 3-day food records.

In their analyses, the researchers made statistical adjustments to account for any potential confounding effects of participant age and incidence of rectosigmoid colitis.

Compared to placebo, supplementation with selenium reduced symptoms of UC and increased UC-related quality of life, with large effect sizes. The rates of clinical improvement and clinical remission were greater in the selenium group (38% and 20%, respectively) than in the placebo group (6% and 4%, respectively).

Also, supplementation with selenium decreased the serum levels of IL-17 when compared to placebo. Plasma selenium levels were no different between groups at baseline but increased after supplementation with selenium, compared to placebo.