Does taking selenium cause hair loss?

Table of contents:

1. what is selenium?

2. does taking selenium cause hair loss?

3 Which foods contain a lot of selenium?

4. selenium as a food supplement

5. conclusion

One. What is selenium?

Selenium is an essential trace element for the human body. It is found in all body cells and is essential for the human organism. Selenium performs a variety of tasks in the body, such as protecting the cells from oxidative damage. Selenium helps in the production of sperm and is therefore important for male fertility. Selenium is also very important for the thyroid gland. The production of thyroid hormones takes place with the help of selenium, which additionally stimulates hair growth.

2. does taking selenium cause hair loss?

Taking selenium as a food supplement does not cause hair loss. Selenium is generally considered to be very safe and well tolerated.

However, a lack of selenium can lead to hair loss. A selenium deficiency only occurs when the body has an absorption disorder or when there is an increased selenium excretion. Vegans and vegetarians in particular are at risk of an insufficient selenium supply via food, as a lot of selenium is present in animal foods. If the human organism is no longer supplied with sufficient selenium, a wide variety of symptoms can occur.

Normally, selenium supports the hair roots so that strong hair growth can be achieved. If the hair becomes thinner and more brittle, there is often a lack of selenium. The best known consequence is hair loss. Hair loss is called permanent hair loss. The lost hair cannot grow back. One speaks of pathological hair loss if more than 100 hairs are lost daily over a longer period of time. In addition to hereditary hair loss (in over 60% of cases) there is also diffuse hair loss and circular hair loss. Hair loss can be improved by a balanced and varied diet. It is important to ingest enough selenium, as selenium boosts the production of hair roots.

If you want to know the range of your selenium level, you should have it checked by your family doctor. Your doctor can then take a blood sample to determine if there is a lack of selenium. The gluthation peroxidase level in the blood is checked, because if it is below 30 E/g Hgb, there is a deficiency.
The selenium reference value is the plasma selenium level, the normal values of which are 80 - 150 µg/l.

3 Which foods contain a lot of selenium?

A high proportion of selenium is mainly found in solid food, in drinking water it is only found in very small amounts. The mineral is found in both animal and vegetable foods. The selenium content can vary considerably. The following applies: protein-rich foods such as meat and fish contain more selenium than vegetable foods.

Selenium content in µg / 100g:

Brazil nuts approx. 250 µg

Lenses approx. 45 µg

Rice approx. 4 µg

Mushrooms approx. 3 µg

Banana approx. 2 µg

wholemeal rye bread approx. 1.5 µg

White cabbage approx. 1 µg

Potatoes approx. 0,5 µg

poultry meat approx. 20 µg

beef approx. 35 µg

4. selenium as a food supplement

Selenium should normally be absorbed by the body daily. The best way to do this is naturally through a healthy and balanced diet. However, many people find it very difficult to cover their entire vitamin requirements. Then selenium should be taken in addition in order to avoid a selenium deficiency.

Selenium is available in the form of dietary supplements in stores. It is available in the form of selenium capsules and selenium tablets. Both forms are easy to handle and enter the circulation quickly. However, selenium tablets are sold in pharmacies, which in many cases are manufactured with artificial additives or abroad. Selenium capsules often contain only the active ingredient in a vegetable cellulose shell and can therefore be produced without fillers.

Selenium capsules or selenium tablets should be taken with sufficient liquid (for example water or juice). It does not matter whether selenium is taken before or after a meal. However, if you have a sensitive stomach and cannot take selenium tablets or selenium capsules on an empty stomach, you should eat something first and then take the food supplements.

In general, you should always make sure that the product was produced in Germany in order to guarantee a consistently high quality of the preparation. If you buy a preparation from Germany, you can be sure that the product was also produced safely and is of high quality.

5. conclusion: Does the intake of selenium cause hair loss?

Selenium is an important trace element. Taking selenium as a dietary supplement does not cause any side effects such as hair loss. However, if too little selenium is supplied to the body in the long term, a selenium deficiency can occur. Symptoms of a selenium deficiency can include hair loss, increased fatigue, nail changes and concentration difficulties. Besides producing thyroid hormones, selenium helps maintain normal hair growth. Selenium protects the body from oxidative stress, which can be caused by free radicals. If too little selenium is supplied to the body in the long term, a selenium deficiency can occur. Those who would like to take selenium in the form of dietary supplements can do so in the form of selenium capsules and selenium tablets. It is important to note that the preparation was manufactured in Germany to avoid additives.

Further sources:

• The Role of Selenium in Thyroid Gland Pathophysiology
• Selenium and Selenoproteins: An Overview on Different Biological Systems
• A Summary of New Findings on the Biological Effects of Selenium in Selected Animal Species-A Critical Review
• Selenium in the Prevention and Subsidiary Therapy of Cancer of Soft Tissues
• Pharmaconutrition With Intravenous Selenium in Intensive Care: The End of an Era?
• Celebrating Two Centuries of Research in Selenium Chemistry: State of the Art and New Prospective