Skip to main content

Selenosis

Meaning

Selenosis is the clinical term for toxicity resulting from excessive intake or chronic overexposure to the trace element selenium, a condition that occurs when the body’s capacity to safely metabolize and excrete selenium is overwhelmed. Although selenium is an essential component of selenoproteins, which are vital for antioxidant defense and thyroid hormone metabolism, supratherapeutic levels can lead to a constellation of adverse health effects. Clinically, selenosis is characterized by symptoms such as hair loss, brittle nails, garlic odor on the breath, fatigue, and in severe cases, neurological and gastrointestinal disturbances. Careful monitoring of selenium intake is essential to avoid this toxicity, especially in individuals with existing thyroid conditions.