Inositol and Selenium Improve Hashimoto’s Disease

One of the main priorities in my practice is to stay on top of the latest cutting-edge research in Hashimoto’s disease and thyroid disorders. My latest round of research reviews involved six clinical studies that examined inositol and selenium and how they conferred major benefits in those with Hashimoto’s disease and subclinical hypothyroidism. The highlights of each study are summarized in a table at the end of this article for ease of reference.

What are Inositol and Selenium?
Before we get started, let’s do a quick review on the supplements inositol and selenium.

Inositol is referred to as Vitamin B8 but is not actually a vitamin but a sugar. It naturally occurs in foods such as fruits (especially citrus), beans, grains and nuts. It helps provide structure to your cells and also affects the hormone insulin and how chemical messengers work in your brain.

Some of you may wonder if myo-inositol and inositol are the same thing and the answer is yes. So if you buy a product that is just called “inositol”, this is the myo-inositol form.

D-chiro-inositol is another form that works equally as well as myo-inositol, but the d-chiro-inositol has a slight edge in reducing excessive androgen levels in PCOS whereas the myo form is better with insulin resistance.

I have mainly used inositol over the years with excellent results for the following:

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

Insomnia

Anxiety

Insulin resistance

PMS

Depression

Fibrocystic breast disease

Uterine fibroids

Selenium is a trace element that is essential to well-being. It plays a role in the immune response, cell growth and viral defense as discussed in previous research including the studies of Huang et al. and Brownand and Arthur. Selenium also plays a huge part in the synthesis and function of thyroid hormones. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown in previous investigations including those headed by Gartner et al., Landucci et al. and van Zuuren et al. to reduce an inflammatory condition in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
The first study I’d like to cover on inositol, selenium, and Hashimoto's disease came out of Italy in 2017 by Nordio and Basciani.
That study was published in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences entitled “Myo-inositol plus selenium supplementation restores euthyroid state in Hashimoto's patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.”

In that study, 168 patients ages 22 to 62 years had a TSH level between 3-6 mIU/L, elevated thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO) and/or thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and normal free T4 and T3 levels. They were randomized into two groups and were given either 83 mcg of selenium or a combination of 600 mg of myo-inositol and 83 mcg of selenium for six months.

After six months of taking these supplements, all participants taking myo-inositol and selenium showed improvements in their TSH, free T4, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO) and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb). The group taking only selenium had a decrease in TPO levels which we have known for a while now based on previous research. Thyroglobulin levels, however, decreased only in the inositol+selenium group.

Additionally, subjects filled out a symptom questionnaire before and after which showed significant improvement in their thyroid-related symptoms.

In 2013, the research team of Nordio and Pajalich examined the effects of supplementation with myo-inositol and selenomethionine on patients with subclinical hypothyroidism. Their article was published in Journal of Thyroid Research and was entitled, “Combined Treatment with Myo-Inositol and Selenium Ensures Euthyroidism in Subclinical Hypothyroidism Patients with Autoimmune Thyroiditis.”

This study recruited 48 women with autoimmune thyroiditis with blood levels of thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies above 350 IU/L and TSH levels that were elevated between 4.01 mIU/L and 9.