Elevated levels of oxidative stress could cause and aggravate Alzheimer's disease (AD). Selenium (Se) is a trace element with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity with neuroprotective effects. To evaluate the effects of Se supplementation in patients with AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through a systematic review and meta-analysis, data were searched and collected from four electronic databases, including clinical trial studies published until December 2020, following the PRISMA guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed by RevMan, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Rob 2 tool. A total of 1350 scientific papers were collected, and following evaluation 11 papers were included in the systematic review and 6 of these were used in the meta-analysis. Studies that evaluated only Se supplementation observed an improvement in Se levels, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity, and in some cognitive tests in MCI patients; similarly, improvement in Se levels and mini-mental score was also observed in AD patients. Regarding supplementation of Se plus other nutrients, improvement in cognitive tests was observed in both AD and MCI patients. Therefore, Se supplementation is a good alternative for patients with AD and MCI for improving Se levels and GPX activity. More detailed studies are required to further evaluate the effects of Se on the cognitive deficit and oxidative stress associated with AD and MCI.
Keywords: Brazil nut; neurodegenerative disease; oxidative stress; selenium.