Can selenium pills help cure overactive thyroid?
Challenges and perspectives of selenium supplementation in Graves’ disease and orbitopathy
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Selenium didn't improve quality of life unless patients had mild eye symptoms.
Many assume selenium boosts mood or energy in thyroid patients—but the study found zero benefit for depression, anxiety, or general well-being without eye involvement.
Practical Takeaways
If you have mild Graves' eye symptoms lasting less than 7 months, ask your doctor if a short-term selenium trial (200–300 mcg/day) is appropriate.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Selenium didn't improve quality of life unless patients had mild eye symptoms.
Many assume selenium boosts mood or energy in thyroid patients—but the study found zero benefit for depression, anxiety, or general well-being without eye involvement.
Practical Takeaways
If you have mild Graves' eye symptoms lasting less than 7 months, ask your doctor if a short-term selenium trial (200–300 mcg/day) is appropriate.
Publication
Journal
Hormones (Athens, Greece)
Year
2019
Authors
T. Bednarczuk, L. Schomburg
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking selenium supplements is associated with lower levels of antibodies that attack the thyroid in people diagnosed with autoimmune thyroid disease.
It is unclear whether selenium supplements help treat Graves' disease because studies have varied widely in how they gave selenium, did not measure patients' initial selenium levels, and used lab tests instead of actual health outcomes like disease remission.
Taking selenium supplements does not lead to better quality of life for people with Graves' hyperthyroidism who do not have eye symptoms, as studies show no meaningful difference in mood or self-reported symptoms compared to taking a placebo.
In people with Graves' disease taking antithyroid medications, adding selenium may lead to faster normalization of thyroid hormone levels at six months, but this effect does not last until nine months and differs depending on the type and amount of selenium used.
In patients with mild, active Graves' orbitopathy lasting less than seven months, selenium supplementation may be linked to better quality of life and fewer eye symptoms, but these findings are based on one study and have not been confirmed by others.