Chromium and selenium supplements for psychiatric symptoms
What it found
In people with various mental health conditions, chromium and selenium supplements showed promising effects on mood, anxiety and obsessive symptoms, but the evidence is not conclusive.
Most studies were small and used different designs.
What they found
Studies in people
Chromium and mood symptoms
Two randomised trials in people with atypical depression found better response and remission with chromium than placebo in one trial, and better response in those with high carbohydrate craving in the other. Other small studies suggested benefits for symptoms like reduced interest, difficulty concentrating and lethargy in premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and improved fasting glucose in binge eating disorder.
Chromium in schizophrenia
One study in people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder found no benefit of chromium added to antipsychotic therapy on weight, glycated haemoglobin, or psychotic and depressive symptoms.
Chromium in treatment-resistant mood disorders
Three open-label studies without a control group suggested chromium might improve mood and functioning in people with treatment-resistant mood disorders, but one study had only 7 patients remaining at 1 year, so results are very preliminary.
Selenium and psychiatric symptoms
Randomised trials in people with schizophrenia or major depression found greater improvement in symptoms with selenium added to medication than with placebo. Two studies in treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder also suggested benefits on OCD symptoms.
Selenium in healthy or at-risk groups
Studies in healthy people or those with low selenium intake showed mixed results. Some found improvements in anxiety and depression, especially in those with low baseline selenium levels, while others found no benefit in people with adequate selenium status.
Selenium in specific groups
In older adults, women with polycystic ovary syndrome, postpartum women, and HIV-positive drug users, selenium supplementation showed some benefits on depressive symptoms, anxiety, or stress scores, often alongside improvements in inflammatory or metabolic markers.
What the authors conclude
“Both trace elements may affect positively mental health and cardio-metabolic-inflammatory conditions, which have a strong link with psychiatric disorders and their prognosis.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that chromium and selenium show promising clinical effects on affective, anxious, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in various mental disorders.
- They state that because of the low number of studies, small sample sizes, and heterogeneity, it is not possible to provide solid recommendations about the use of chromium and selenium supplementation in people with psychiatric disorders or symptoms.
- They advise that future studies should fill the gaps, and that supplementation should be considered and adapted based on individual characteristics such as symptom profile, risk of nutritional deficits, and genetic predisposition.
How it was done
The authors wanted to summarise the evidence on chromium and selenium supplementation in mental disorders, because little was known about their potential role in these conditions.
They searched PubMed and APA PsychInfo up to June 2024 and included 22 studies: 9 on chromium and 13 on selenium. The studies used randomised controlled or open-label designs, measured psychiatric symptoms with standard scales, and included people with psychiatric disorders or healthy people. Chromium studies had 5 to 113 participants, lasted 8 weeks to 2 years, and used 200 to 1000 micrograms per day. Selenium studies had 11 to 501 participants, lasted 8 weeks to 1 year, and used 13 to 356 micrograms per day.
What it can’t tell you
- Most studies were small and used different designs, so the results cannot be considered definitive.
- Some studies combined selenium with other supplements, so the specific effect of selenium alone cannot be separated.
- The review did not combine results from all studies, so it cannot provide a single overall measure of effect.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Bologna, Italy; University of Messina, Italy
The paper
- Title
- The Potential Benefits of Chromium and Selenium Supplementation Across Psychiatric Disorders and Symptoms
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Di Lisi A, Dalla Valle A, Menchetti M, Crisafulli C, Fabbri C (2025). The Potential Benefits of Chromium and Selenium Supplementation Across Psychiatric Disorders and Symptoms. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology. doi:10.1097/JCP.0000000000002014Free full textPubMed 40345207DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error