# Do Brazil Nuts cause hair loss?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brazil-nuts-cause-hair-loss/60392>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 1, 2001, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brazil-nuts-cause-hair-loss/60392 "2001-04-01T18:24:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brazil-nuts-cause-hair-loss/60392/1 "2001-04-01T18:24:32Z")

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In this month’s issue of My Generation, the AARP magazine, they claim that Brazi Nuts contain a chemical called Selenium that is very healthy. Apparently, if you eat too many Brazil Nuts, it can cause hair loss.

Is this true?

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brazil-nuts-cause-hair-loss/60392/2 "2001-04-01T18:53:29Z")

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Looks like it.

[http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues99/apr99/object\_apr99.html](http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues99/apr99/object_apr99.html)

> [@](#):
>
> (The nuts also contain varying levels of selenium — perhaps 250 times more than most foods — depending on the soil where they’re grown. Selenium may deter ovarian cancer by helping activate a powerful antioxidant, but too much can be toxic and cause balding.)

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**Author:** ![sethdallob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@sethdallob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sethdallob)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brazil-nuts-cause-hair-loss/60392/3 "2001-04-01T21:03:59Z")

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Cripes, I’ll be putting down the can of Planter’s that I was nibbling on. Before I came to this site, I was just saying to myself,“Mmm…I need to eat more nuts. These are damn good.”

Back to eating diseased meat I guess… 🙂

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**Author:** ![sethdallob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@sethdallob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sethdallob)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-brazil-nuts-cause-hair-loss/60392/4 "2001-04-01T21:09:47Z")

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Selenium isn’t even mentioned on the nutritional facts label…wouldn’t that have to be listed? Perhaps roasting the nuts breaks up the offending molecules?