Selenium poisoning from Dietary Supplements
- Dietary supplements containing toxic levels of Selenium have caused widespread outbreaks of Selenium poisoning across the United States. This is according to a recent article in the February 8th issue of journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
· Researchers began to investigate outbreaks of acute selenium toxicity after reports of cases of Selenium poisoning began in March 2008.
· Selenium is a naturally occurring mineral that is usually obtained from a balanced diet. Selenium is required for good health and the recommended dietary allowance is 55mcg per day for adults.
· The cause of the outbreaks were identified as liquid dietary supplements which were labeled as containing 200mcg of selenium per fluid ounce in the form of sodium selenite, an inorganic form of selenium. The actual Selenium concentration was 200 times the amount on the label. When the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested the supplements, they found the selenium concentration of 40,800mcg/ounce.
· The authors report that about 200 cases of Selenium poisoning were found and one case required hospitalization.
· Symptoms of Selenium poisoning include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting along with fatigue, joint pain, hair loss and foul breath.
· Although 201 cases were found, the actual number of people affected with Selenium toxicity was likely higher because of the associated symptoms. Selenium toxicity can be nonspecific, making the association with the supplement difficult.
· When the affected patients were interviewed by their doctors, they had not suspected the supplement had made them ill nor mentioned the fact that they were taking the dietary supplements.
· This article highlights the importance of patients communicating with their doctors about all dietary supplements, herbs, and over-the-counter medications that they are taking.
Cristopher Geiler, M.D.
Arch Intern Med. 2010;170:256-261, 262-263.
Posted on February 10, 2010
