Effects of selenium supplementation on glucose homeostasis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in gestational diabetes: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Objective To our knowledge, no reports are available indicating the effects of selenium supplementation on metabolic parameters, inflammatory factors, and oxidative stress in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The aim of this study was to assess the effects of selenium supplementation on metabolic status in pregnant women with GDM who were not on oral hypoglycemic agents. Methods This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed with 70 women with GDM. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 200 μg selenium supplements as tablet (n = 35) or placebo (n = 35) for 6 wk from weeks 24 to 28 of gestation. Fasting plasma samples were taken at study baseline and after 6 wk of intervention to quantify related variables. Results Selenium supplementation, compared with placebo, resulted in a significant reduction in fasting plasma glucose (−10.5 ± 11.9 versus +4.5 ± 12.9 mg/dL; P