Top 10 Foods Highest in Selenium

Photo of Daisy Whitbread Written by Daisy Whitbread
BSc (Hons) MSc DipION
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Top 10 Foods Highest in Selenium

Selenium is an essential trace mineral. It is a constituent of selenoproteins that play important roles in the body including antioxidant protection, thyroid gland function, DNA synthesis, and roles in the immune system and reproduction.

A deficiency in selenium can lead to pain in the muscles and joints, unhealthy hair, and white spots on the fingernails. In long-term cases, it may even lead to Hashimoto's disease, a condition in which the body's own immune system attacks the thyroid.

An excess of selenium can lead to bad breath, diarrhea, and even hair loss.

Foods high in selenium include Brazil nuts, tuna, oysters, pork, beef, chicken, tofu, whole wheat pasta, shrimp, and mushrooms. The current daily value (DV) for selenium is 55mcg (micrograms).

It is important to note that the amount of selenium in any product varies greatly by the amount of selenium in the soil in which it was produced/grown/raised. Be sure to check individual labels, and if you have a deficiency in selenium, get tested after changing your diet to be sure you are eating adequate amounts.

Below is a list of high selenium foods sorted by common serving size, please see the complete ranking of all foods high in selenium for more.

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About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that\'s found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It\'s more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Institutes of Health.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.

See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

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View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
  2. Office Of Dietary Supplements Fact Sheet
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