Selenium (selenomethionine vs selenite) and healthy aging
What 2 graded rows on selenium (selenomethionine vs selenite) agree on for healthy aging, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Selenium (selenomethionine vs selenite) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Selenium (selenomethionine vs selenite) page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Selenium (selenomethionine vs selenite) and healthy aging
2 rows · 62,765 peopleThey agree: both rows found no difference.
- ∅No effect× 2
- Rows
- 2
- Trials
- 2
- At least: a review without a trial count
- People
- 62,765
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
What the rows share
From the rowsEvery row is graded No effect, our grade for adequately powered trials that found no effect.
The rows run from 27,232 to 35,533 people, published from 2009 to 2018: 1 pooled review and 1 single study.
The rows
2 no difference- ∅No effectSELECT trial primary end point (men 50+) · No difference
RCT · n 35,533 · 2009 · Relatively healthy men aged 50+ (African American) or 55+ in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico
200 microg/day, alone or with vitamin E · Median follow-up 5.46 years
Selenium did not lower prostate cancer risk (HR 1.04; 99% CI 0.87-1.24) or any other prespecified cancer end point. Type 2 diabetes was non-significantly more common with selenium (RR 1.07; 99% CI 0.94-1.22).
Row on the Selenium (selenomethionine vs selenite) page · PubMed 19066370 (opens PubMed)
- ∅No effectLong-term prevention end points (10 placebo-controlled trials) · No difference
Systematic review · n 27,232 · 2018 · Participants in 10 randomized trials of selenium vs placebo for cancer prevention
Varied across trials · Varied across trials
In low-risk-of-bias trials, selenium did not change overall cancer incidence (RR 1.01; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.10; high certainty) or cancer deaths, nor colorectal, lung, bladder or prostate cancer. Low-bias trials suggested a higher melanoma risk.
Row on the Selenium (selenomethionine vs selenite) page · PubMed 29376219 (opens PubMed)