Selenomethionine: will we be managing allergies by food supplementation? An interview with PhD-student Xiaoli Zhao

Author: Casper Pachocki

Today, allergies are poorly managed by existing medication that is paired with side-effects, such as drowsiness. While no breakthroughs in drug discovery are expected, there may be another treatment glooming over the horizon, in the form of food. Could we alleviate allergic symptoms by just eating? 

Xiaoli (Lily) Zhao has just finished her PhD at the Division of Pharmacology of Utrecht University. The topic of her research, selenomethionine in allergy modulation, is quite a mouthful, and somewhat preludes to the question: ‘’Is it possible to manage allergies by supplementing our food?’’ 

Lily smiles upon hearing this question and adds to specify that: ‘’There is potential for micronutrients (like vitamins and minerals) to be used in the treatment of allergies’’. However, she notes: ‘’but there are quite a few snags in the process.’’ Before she dives into the results of her extensive research, what is the relevance of selenium in our diets? 

‘’Although selenium is an important micronutrient, intake across Europe is low, reflecting the inadequate soil levels’’, Lily explains. For people unaffected by allergy or other disease, this is not an issue, as the concentration of selenium in their bodies is sufficient. But for allergic people, lower concentrations of selenium are found, indicating that they are at risk for a selenium deficiency. ‘’Selenium interventions might therefore be an interesting new approach for future strategies of managing food allergy in general’’, Lily states. 

So, what does selenium do in allergies? The active substance of selenium, selenomethionine, can modulate the immune system. ‘’By first looking at an important type of immune cell involved in allergy, we found out that selenium can modify mast cell degranulation, subsequently preventing histamine release.’’ Selenium therefore acts similarly to antihistamines, the most common anti-allergic drugs. In experiments in mice with cow’s milk allergy, this effect was later confirmed. Supplementation with selenium can effectively change some clinical aspects associated with such food allergies. 

However, while her findings are fascinating, Lily explains that it is not as simple as just consuming more selenium. ‘’Micronutrients in general are very important. Everybody should care about the balance of their micronutrients, especially in context of disease. Sometimes you do not notice that you have a deficiency, while it can contribute a lot to how you are feeling.’’ It seems that there is a whole other world of medicine, hiding right under our noses, on our plates.