A study involving 20,000 Americans has suggested that taking too many selenium-based pills could potentially increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Selenium is a common ingredient in heart disease medication, due to its ability to protect the heart from inflammation and oxidative stress. This trace mineral is essential in a healthy diet, and deficiencies have been linked to mental deterioration, poor immune functions and potentially even death. Heart disease is extremely common, and in Scotland alone over 270,000 people live with it, and more than 8,000 dying from it each year. This results in a large population taking a significant amount of selenium in the form of pills and supplements. The link to diabetes should be a threatening one, since a person would face many health complications if they suffered from heart disease and then developed type-2 diabetes. Because of this, the possible connection has caused some alarm and controversy.
However many healthcare and research professionals, including researchers at the University of Surrey, have suggested that the problem lies not in the heart medication alone, but in the indiscriminate and unregulated use of medication and supplements. In individuals who have normal or high levels of selenium, over-supplementing could be unnecessary and potentially damaging. If these people also live unhealthy lifestyle, the risk of type-2 diabetes increases greatly.
Diabetes UK has said that this study of a large population in the United States showed no definite link between adding selenium to your diet and the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. It was pointed out that Europeans tend to receive less selenium from their diets than Americans. However, it is also problematic at this stage to dismiss the connection entirely, and more research is needed. Ultimately, it is important to take all medication and supplements in safe and sensible amounts, as directed by the manufacturers and packaging, or by health-care professionals.
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