Selenium Supplementation, Body Mass Composition, and Leptin Levels in Patients with Obesity on a Balanced Mildly Hypocaloric Diet: A Pilot Study

Elisabetta Cavedon; Jacopo Manso; Isabella Negro; Simona Censi; Roberto Serra; Luca Busetto; Roberto Vettor; Mario Plebani; Raffaele Pezzani; Davide Nacamulli; Caterina Mian

doi:10.1155/2020/4802739

Selenium Supplementation, Body Mass Composition, and Leptin Levels in Patients with Obesity on a Balanced Mildly Hypocaloric Diet: A Pilot Study

Int J Endocrinol. 2020 May 28:2020:4802739. doi: 10.1155/2020/4802739. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Familial Cancer Clinic and Oncoendocrinology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy.
² Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
³ Internal Medicine, Alto Vicentino Hospital, Santorso (VI), Italy.
⁴ Internal Medicine 3, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
⁵ Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
⁶ AIROB, Associazione Italiana per La Ricerca Oncologica di Base, Padua, Italy.

Abstract

Background: Adequate levels of selenium (Se) have protective effects against several chronic diseases, such as obesity. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Se supplementation in a selected group of patients with obesity.

Methods: This randomized prospective study included 37 overweight/obese individuals aged 18-65 years, who adopted a slightly hypocaloric diet for 3 months. An intervention group received 240 μg/day of L-selenomethionine for 3 months; a control group received a placebo. Clinical and biochemical parameters, body composition measurements, and the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) questionnaire were tested at the beginning and end of the treatment.

Results: A comparison of the two groups showed a significant change in body composition, involving a decrease in body fat mass, between the baseline and the end of the follow-up, in the intervention group. Unlike the placebo group, the group given Se had a significant increase in lean body and muscle mass and a significant decrease in leptin levels after 3 months on diet. At the end of the follow-up, the group given Se scored higher on the PGWBI than those who did not.

Conclusion: Se could reinforce the effects of diet for overweight and obesity. This work was registered in the ISRCTN registry with study ID ISRCTN6106073.