Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

Selenocysteine is the 21st amino acid, incorporated into a small number of human proteins known as selenoproteins. These selenoproteins, which include glutathione peroxidases and thioredoxin reductases, have critical antioxidant and immunoregulatory functions. Scientific interest in selenium and its forms, such as selenocysteine, is based on the role of these proteins in modulating oxidative stress and immune system activity, both important factors in autoimmune disorders. Some studies suggest that selenium deficiency is associated with increased risk or severity of certain autoimmune diseases, especially autoimmune thyroid conditions like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease. Supplementation with selenium (not specifically selenocysteine, but often in the form of selenomethionine or sodium selenite) has shown modest benefit in reducing thyroid peroxidase antibodies and possibly improving some clinical symptoms. However, direct clinical trials using isolated selenocysteine are lacking. Overall, while there is scientific rationale and some clinical evidence supporting the use of selenium (more generally, not specifically selenocysteine) in the context of autoimmune thyroid diseases, robust, high-quality evidence is limited. For other autoimmune disorders beyond the thyroid, the evidence is even weaker. Thus, the scientific justification exists primarily for selenium’s role in thyroid autoimmunity, but the strength of evidence and the specificity for selenocysteine itself remain modest.

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