Horbaach Selenium 200 mcg Dietary Supplement, 120 Tablets EXP 5/2027

Six-dimension breakdown

Why this scored 55/100

Selenium is a well-characterized essential trace mineral required for glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase antioxidant enzyme systems, and for iodothyronine deiodinase enzymes involved in thyroid hormone metabolism. RDA is 55mcg/day for adults; typical soil selenium levels in most of North America produce dietary intake of 80-150mcg/day (Brazil nuts are extraordinary selenium sources at ~90mcg per single nut). The 200mcg dose in this Horbaach product sits below the 400mcg upper tolerable intake but above what most people already get from diet. Selenium supplementation for cardiovascular and cancer prevention was widely marketed after the Clark 1996 skin cancer prevention trial, but the SELECT trial (2011, n=35,000+) found no cancer prevention benefit for selenium alone and identified a signal for increased type 2 diabetes risk. Adequate selenium is important for thyroid health, particularly in Hashimoto's thyroiditis where 200mcg/day of selenomethionine has some published evidence for reducing thyroid peroxidase antibody titers. Horbaach's product does not specify the selenium form (selenomethionine vs. selenium yeast vs. inorganic sodium selenite — bioavailability and safety differ), and mass-market brand-level QC without visible third-party assay is a concern. Standard tier reflecting a legitimate trace mineral at a reasonable dose, tempered by ambient dietary adequacy in most users, undisclosed selenium form, and mass-market brand QC.

Evidence & sources

The Vyvata score's Evidence dimension measures the quality of published RCT support for a product's active ingredients at the label dose. Our source hierarchy: double-blind RCTs in MEDLINE-indexed journals > single-blind RCTs > open-label trials > observational studies > mechanism papers > N=1 case studies (anecdotes). Predatory journals and manufacturer-authored studies without independent replication are weighted down.

Product-specific evidence citations for this item are embedded in the analysis text on the "Analysis" tab. For the full framework and evidence hierarchy, see the methodology page.

How to read the Evidence dimension

• 80–100: Multiple double-blind RCTs in indexed journals directly testing this product OR the exact ingredients at the exact dose.
• 60–79: Single double-blind RCT + supporting ingredient literature at the studied dose.
• 40–59: Open-label trials + ingredient literature; no product-specific double-blind evidence.
• 20–39: Ingredient literature only; no product-specific trials or trials in predatory venues.
• 0–19: No credible evidence base or unverifiable claims.

FAQ data has not been generated for this product yet. See the site FAQ for general questions.

Customer reviews

All the data we have on this product

Every VSF-related metafield surfaced verbatim. Nothing hidden. If you spot data that looks wrong, let us know.

VSF score

55 / 100

Tier

Standard

Category

Supplements

Subcategory

vitamins micronutrients

Last scored

August 30, 2026

Third-party certifications

None on record at time of scoring

Vendor

Take It or Leave It

Tags

Shopify Collective, Take It or Leave It

Every score is set from the published rubric, audit-logged, and rescored whenever new evidence emerges (published trials, updated labels, third-party testing releases). Every vendor is scored on the same criteria — no pay-to-play. See our editorial-independence disclosure for the full policy, including brands with an editorial relationship to this site.