The Study
A U-shaped association between selenium intake and cancer risk
This study looked at people who already had cancer and compared what they ate to people who didn’t have cancer. It found that people who ate very little or a lot of selenium seemed more likely to have cancer, but it doesn’t prove that selenium caused the cancer — maybe other things about their diet or lifestyle were the real reason.
Analysis score
Maximum 58 for a case-control study.
Where the score came from
Selenium is a mineral your body needs, but just like with salt, too little or too much can be bad for you.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 558 / 100
Quality score
Researchers compare people who have a condition (cases) with similar people who do not (controls), looking back in time for differences in exposure. Useful but more prone to bias.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this means eating too little selenium (common in poor diets) or taking too many supplements could both increase your chance of getting cancer.
- 2People who ate very little selenium (under 77 µg/day) had nearly 4 times higher cancer risk.
- 3People who ate a lot (over 169 µg/day) had nearly double the risk.
- 4The safest amount was between 111–124 µg/day.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Scientific Reports
Year
2024
Authors
N. Le, Y. Pham, C. T. Le, L. T. Le, T. Le, H. V. Dao, Toan H Ha, S. Kuchipudi, Hung N. Luu
Related Content
Claims (6)
Vietnamese adults who consume the highest amounts of selenium in their diet have 86% higher odds of developing cancer than those who consume lower amounts.
In Vietnamese adults, both low and high levels of selenium intake are linked to higher cancer risk, and this link is stronger in people with a low body weight and in those who have never smoked.
In humans, having too little or too much selenium in the body is linked to worse health outcomes.
Vietnamese adults with the lowest selenium intake have 3.78 times higher odds of developing cancer than those with higher selenium intake.
In Vietnamese people, consuming too little or too much selenium from food is linked to a higher chance of developing cancer, with the lowest risk occurring at an intake of 110.8 to 124.4 micrograms per day.
Both low and high levels of selenium intake are linked to higher cancer risk in Vietnam, while moderate levels are linked to lower risk, across stomach, colon, rectum, and lung cancers.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.