ICMR interim report hyperlinks excessive ranges of selenium in wheat to hair loss

Consumption of extreme selenium results in a situation known as selenosis, which is characterised by sudden hair loss
| Picture Credit score: CDC

Three Zika virus instances in Gujarat detected between November 2016 and February 2017 had been saved beneath wraps until WHO introduced the outbreak on Could 26, 2017; the Well being Ministry had knowledgeable WHO in regards to the three instances on Could 15, 2017. The case of excessive ranges of selenium in wheat distributed by Public Distribution System (PDS) shops inflicting elevated selenium ranges and sudden hair loss in over 300 folks in Shegaon taluka in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, appears to be following the identical sample — reluctance of the Well being Ministry to maintain all of the stakeholders knowledgeable and make the findings public, after which declare there is no such thing as a conclusive proof to hyperlink excessive selenium ranges in wheat with sudden hair loss.

Between end-December 2024 and January this 12 months, over 300 instances of sudden hair loss had been reported in folks residing in 18 villages in Shegaon taluka. From January 14-17, a crew of scientists from ICMR institutes and AIIMS Delhi visited three villages and picked up samples from folks affected and unaffected (management) by sudden hair loss. Samples of wheat and rice from affected and unaffected households and from ration outlets had been collected, in addition to water and soil samples. Opposite to claims made by authorities sources, no different samples of meals gadgets had been collected for testing by the ICMR-AIIMS crew. The samples had been despatched for testing to ICMR-Nationwide Institute for Analysis in Environmental Well being (NIREH) in Bhopal and AIIMS Delhi.

A PTI report revealed on February 25 mentioned that very excessive ranges of selenium present in wheat was the rationale for the sudden hair loss, primarily based on an unbiased investigation by Dr. Himmatrao Bawaskar of Bawaskar Hospital and Analysis Centre in Raigad. The ICMR-AIIMS crew discovered excessive selenium in blood and hair samples of affected folks, and the hyperlink between excessive selenium ranges in wheat and hair loss almost a month earlier than Dr. Bawaskar’s investigation revealed them. However the findings of the ICMR-AIIMS crew haven’t been made public until date.

In an interim report submitted to the Well being Ministry on January 28, ICMR clearly mentioned that the quantity of selenium detected within the blood of affected people was about 31 instances increased than controls. The selenium content material was additionally excessive in wheat samples collected from two ration outlets and some households of affected folks. Water samples had been examined for almost two-dozen heavy metals, and all had been inside permissible limits. Based mostly on these findings, the interim report says that top selenium ranges in wheat may have precipitated sudden hair loss. Consumption of extreme selenium by way of meals and/or water results in a situation known as selenosis, which is characterised by hair loss, which is what was seen in folks in Shegaon taluka.

Blood samples examined by ICMR-NIREH discovered that folks with sudden hair loss had selenium ranges almost 31 instances increased than people with out hair loss from households with no instances of hair loss within the household. Selenium ranges within the affected folks had been thrice greater than the unaffected people from the identical households because the affected folks. Blood samples examined by AIIMS Delhi discovered that the selenium ranges had been about 25 instances greater than the controls, and the selenium ranges in hair samples from folks with sudden hair loss had been additionally excessive in contrast with the management group.

Testing by ICMR-NIREH of wheat samples provided by two ration outlets to the affected folks residing in two villages had selenium two-eight instances increased than regular values. The selenium degree within the wheat pattern collected from a family the place an affected individual was residing was excessive and corresponding to the selenium ranges in wheat obtainable on the ration store. In contrast with households of unaffected people, folks from affected households consumed wheat and rice provided by PDS outlets. The presence of wheat with excessive ranges of selenium each within the ration outlets and within the affected households clearly establishes that wheat distributed by the PDS shops because the supply of selenium for the affected folks.

As per a Letter revealed in 2016 within the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology, a examine by the SMS Medical Faculty and Hospital in Jaipur discovered 15 people from two households with excessive to excessive selenium toxicity. Selenium in wheat samples was 250 instances increased. As per a 2004 report in All the way down to Earth, giant tracts of agriculture lands in Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahar districts in Punjab are impacted and folks in lots of villages in these districts are affected by selenium toxicity.

It have to be famous that whereas each household receives PDS wheat, not everybody eats this wheat. Many households have wheat grown in their very own discipline. Consequently, the wheat samples collected from homes weren’t essentially acquired from PDS outlets. Curiously, individuals who had sudden hair loss in end-December 2024 had good hair regrowth though they continued to devour wheat provided by PDS outlets. This means that the publicity to excessive selenium was just for a short while most likely as a result of just a few sacks of wheat had excessive selenium ranges. That instances had been reported solely from 12-15 villages once more assist the speculation that just a few sacks would have had excessive selenium. It’s subsequently needed to hold out additional investigations by testing further wheat samples from your complete provide chain of PDS to make sure that excessive selenium wheat just isn’t current within the provide chain.