High Selenium Wheat Causes Hair Loss

A health crisis in India — Maharashtra's India — Buldhana district saw 279 people, primarily young women and college students, suffer from 'acute onset alopecia totalis' (sudden hair loss) between December 2024 and January 2025. Dr Himmatrao Bawaskar of Bawaskar Hospital and Research Centre investigated and linked the outbreak to wheat supplied by local ration shops, which originated from India — Punjab, India and India — Haryana. This wheat was found to contain 600 times more Selenium than locally grown varieties, leading to significantly elevated Selenium levels and reduced Zinc levels in affected individuals. The high Selenium content was inherent in the grain, not due to external contamination. The event underscores the need for stronger regulation of food supplies, especially government-subsidized rations, as many affected families relied on them due to poor agricultural productivity in their region. Authorities advised stopping consumption of the selenium-rich wheat, leading to partial hair regrowth in some individuals.