TLDR Too much or too little selenium in the diet can cause hair loss and graying in mice.
In a study from 2011 involving 15 C57BL/6 mice, the effects of dietary selenium (Se) on hair growth were examined over a 24-week period. The mice were divided into three groups, each receiving diets with either excessive, adequate, or deficient levels of Se. The results showed that both excessive and deficient Se intake led to the development of alopecia with poliosis, unlike the group with adequate Se intake. Histological analysis revealed an increase in telogen hair follicles and epidermal atrophy in the groups with imbalanced Se levels. Furthermore, there was a notable decrease in the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and an increase in the pro-apoptotic protein Bax in the excessive-Se group when compared to the adequate-Se group. The study concluded that an imbalance in Se affects the hair follicle cycle and promotes hair loss with poliosis, which is partly due to changes in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio that induce apoptosis in keratinocytes.
Cited in this study
4 / 4 results
10 citations
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6 citations
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March 2011 in “Experimental Dermatology” Too much or too little selenium in the diet can cause hair loss and graying in mice.
