Acute Selenium Toxicity Associated With a Dietary Supplement

February 2010 in “ Archives of Internal Medicine ”

Jennifer MacFarquhar, Danielle L. Broussard, Paul Melstrom, Richard W. Hutchinson, Amy Wolkin, Colleen Martin, Raymond F. Burk, John R. Dunn, A Green, Roberta M. Hammond, William Schaffner, Timothy F. Jones

selenium acute selenium toxicity hair loss scalp hair loss total body hair loss

TLDR A manufacturing error in a dietary supplement caused severe selenium poisoning, affecting many people and highlighting the need for stricter quality control.

The study investigated an outbreak of acute selenium poisoning due to a dietary supplement from "Company A" that contained 200 times the labeled selenium concentration, affecting 201 individuals across 10 states. Symptoms included diarrhea (78%), fatigue (75%), hair loss (72%), and nail discoloration (61%), with a median selenium dose of 41,749 μg/day, far exceeding the recommended 55 μg/day. One person was hospitalized, but no deaths occurred. Hair loss was significant, with 18% experiencing complete scalp hair loss and 1% total body hair loss. The outbreak was traced to a manufacturing error, emphasizing the need for stricter manufacturing standards and quality control in the dietary supplement industry. Symptoms persisted for up to 90 days, highlighting the importance of patients informing healthcare providers about all supplements they are taking.