TLDR Adults should not consume more than 255 micrograms of selenium per day to avoid risk of hair loss and other side effects.
The EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) has established a tolerable upper intake level (UL) for selenium at 255 μg/day for adults, based on a LOAEL of 330 μg/day from the SELECT trial with an uncertainty factor of 1.3. For children, ULs were determined using allometric scaling. While dietary selenium intake in Europe is generally safe, caution is advised with selenium supplements, especially for toddlers and children, due to the risk of adverse effects like alopecia. The document also highlights the need for more research on selenium, focusing on risk biomarkers, the impact of excessive intake, and its association with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). It stresses the importance of understanding how factors like age, sex, and genetics influence selenium toxicity and obtaining accurate data on selenium intake from fortified foods and supplements in EU populations.
30 citations,
January 2023 in “EFSA journal” Adults should not consume more than 255 micrograms of selenium per day to avoid risk of hair loss and other side effects.
26 citations,
January 2018 in “Skin appendage disorders” Thallium, mercury, selenium, and colchicine strongly cause hair loss.
13 citations,
January 2012 in “International Journal of Trichology” Eating too many paradise nuts for cancer prevention caused a woman to lose all her hair due to selenium poisoning.
78 citations,
December 2011 in “Clinical toxicology” Excessive selenium from a supplement caused toxicity but patients recovered with care.
13 citations,
April 2019 in “International journal of molecular sciences” Acyzol could help treat conditions caused by zinc deficiency.
54 citations,
May 2017 in “Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy” Edible seeds from the Cucurbitaceae family like pumpkin and watermelon seeds are nutritious and may have health benefits, but eating too much can cause side effects.
61 citations,
May 2010 in “Integrative Cancer Therapies” There is no clear recommendation for using selenium in cancer patients; it may be beneficial to correct low selenium levels before treatment.
April 2023 in “Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine” The document concludes that inflammation markers can be used in diabetes, vitamin D3 affects immune pathways, hyperthyroidism changes hormone levels, androgen levels help diagnose Adrenocortical Carcinoma, erectile dysfunction is linked to diabetes, hypogonadism is common in HIV-infected males, and hormones can be biomarkers for various conditions.
16 citations,
November 2021 in “Antioxidants” Managing oxidative stress might help treat low testosterone and related chronic diseases in aging men.
