Selenium as an adjuvant in migraine therapy

There is a growing interest among scientists in selenium’s role in the brain and nervous system, and a placebo-controlled study published in Frontiers in Nutrition shows that selenium supplementation is useful as an adjuvant in migraine therapy. The study authors describe that oxidative stress may involved in migraine attacks and mention that selenium has a protective effect due to its role as an antioxidant. Earlier studies have shown that other antioxidants like Q10 and magnesium also have a therapeutic value by way of other mechanisms that may work synergistically.

Selenium supports well over 25 different selenoproteins that are important for our energy turnover, brain, and nervous system. Several selenoproteins are also unique antioxidants and protect the brain’s neurons against oxidative stress caused by an excess of free radicals. All humans generate free radicals as a waste product of cellular energy metabolism, but the free radical load can be increased by things such as external and internal stress factors. The selenium-containing antioxidants also protect against brain inflammation, which is involved in many neurological disorders. Studies suggest that being selenium-deficient can alter the brain’s production of neurotransmitters, and selenium supplementation has been seen to have a positive impact as an adjuvant in the medical treatment of neurological diseases like epilepsy and cognitive disturbances. Still, is it uncertain if selenium also has an effect on migraine. This disease affects around 15 percent of the world’s population and is characterized by severe headaches, nausea, and light sensitivity. There are two kinds of migraine: with and without aura (vision disturbances, sensory disturbances and/or speech disturbances that occur just before the migraine attack). Migraine is a rather complex disease, and oxidative stress and inflammation are believed to be a part of it. For that reason, the scientists behind the new study wanted to see if selenium supplementation could reduce oxidative stress and the clinical and psychological symptoms that affect a person’s quality of life.

Selenium has a positive effect on multiple parameters

The study that lasted 12 weeks included 72 patients with migraine. The patients were divided into two groups, one that got 200 micrograms of selenium daily, and one that got matching placebo. The researchers also made a clinical assessment of the patients’ migraines and looked at things like:

• The severity, frequency, and duration of the headaches
• Mental health – including depression, anxiety, and worries
• Biomarkers of oxidative stress – including nitrogen oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and total antioxidant status (TOS).

Compared to the placebo group, those taking selenium had the following effect:

• A significant reduction of NO, which is a free radical and a neurotransmitter towards which migraine patients are highly sensitive
• A significant increase of TAC
• A significant reduction of MDA, a compound that is produces when free radicals attack polyunsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes (a process called lipid peroxidation)
• Fewer headaches
• Less severe headaches
• A better Headache Impact Test-6 score, which looks at how headaches affect a person’s daily activities and quality of life

The researchers conclude that selenium supplementation may be a relevant adjuvant in the treatment and prevention of migraine headaches, and they assume it is because of selenium’s role as an antioxidant. They call for future studies to confirm their results.

Other supplements that can help treat migraine

Lack of Q10, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin D, and fish oil may also play a major role in migraine development. Studies have shown that daily supplementation with pharmaceutical-grade Q10 (100 mg) three times daily can have an effect, provided the migraine is a result of dysfunctions in the mitochondria, which are the energy-producing powerhouses in cells. Other studies have looked at daily supplementation with 600 mg of magnesium and found that magnesium primarily has a positive effect on the nervous system and the body’s calcium balance. Always choose magnesium supplements with good absorption and avoid taking inorganic magnesium oxide, which is primarily a laxative.

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References:

Arghavan Balali et al. The effect of selenium supplementation on oxidative stress, clinical and physiological symptoms in patients with migraine: a double-blinded randomized clinical trial. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2024