10 Best Food Sources Of Selenium & Why We Need It

Adrian White

Selenium: heard of it? If you’re part of dieting, wellness, or “bio-hacking” circles, this nutrient has probably popped up from time to time.

What Does Selenium Do in the Human Body?

We need selenium for healthy thyroid function.^* It’s also vital to reproductive, heart, immune, and cognitive health.^* Selenium appears to play essential roles in balancing inflammation, repelling free radicals, and supporting hormone production too (especially thyroid hormone).^*

Along with another mineral, iodine, the thyroid couldn’t function without selenium.^*

What is Selenium?

Selenium is a trace mineral. Our body needs some, but not a lot, to function.

Because there isn’t a lot in most foods we eat (and the body’s requirements are low), selenium has been greatly underestimated over the decades. However, research shows¹ it’s important in more ways than we ever knew.

So, How Much Selenium Do You Need?

You need around 70 mcg of selenium per day, experts say². Fortunately, most people get enough selenium naturally—if they eat a healthy, varied diet.

Symptoms of selenium deficiency can be hard to detect. Thyroid problems, iodine deficiency, infertility, immune issues, and frequent illness are common signs.

Since getting selenium from food depends on its presence in soils (and thus in crops we eat or that meat animals eat), people in selenium-poor areas may not get enough. People who eat less meat may be at risk, too, since it’s most plentiful in animal foods.

9 Best Whole Food Sources of Selenium

Can you lean on whole food sources for selenium? Or do you have to take a supplement? We’ll go through these best whole food sources and find out.

#1: Seafood

The National Institutes of Health show³ that seafood, especially fish, is the best selenium source. You need 1-2 servings per day of foods like tuna, halibut, shrimp, or sardines to get your needs.

What if you’re vegan or vegetarian? Or, don’t have access to whole and sustainably sourced seafood? What about allergies? Don’t worry, there are other sources.

#2: Organ Meats

Those with seafood/shellfish allergens can try organ meats. Research suggests they’re the next plentiful source, including liver, kidneys, even brain.

According to SELF Nutrition Data⁴, 2-3 servings cooked beef liver per day covers all your daily selenium. Not all people like organ meats, though. Most don’t buy and eat them often, and vegetarians and vegans can’t eat them, either.

#3: Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts contain more selenium than seafood or organ meats, and plant eaters can enjoy them.

The rub: selenium in Brazil nuts is unpredictable. A single Brazil nut can have MORE than your daily needs (68-91 mcg). This may cause selenium toxicity symptoms⁵ over time— carefully eating 1-3 per day is safest.

#4: Beef

Don’t have a beef with beef? Give beef a try. It contains about half your daily selenium, so you’ll need to eat a couple servings.

Vegetarians and vegans do have a beef with beef, though. And some people with dietary restrictions can’t eat beef— they’ll need other sources.

#5. Turkey

Turkey is “up there” on the list of selenium rich whole food sources. Like beef, you’ll need 2-3 servings a day (but at least you’ve got a leaner option).

Again, this source is barred to vegans and vegetarians. Though it’s “healthier” meat, sourcing it ethically and sustainably (which ensures more nutrients like selenium) may prove challenging and expensive.

#6: Chicken

Poultry in general seems to be high in selenium. To get your daily value from chicken specifically though, you’d need 3-4 servings per day.

Chicken is also leaner, healthier, and more widely available. Organic and ethically raised chicken— which is more nutrient dense— is also easier to come by. Still, it’s not a good option for plant eaters.

#7: Eggs

Which comes first: the chicken or the egg? In terms of selenium, chickens come first, but eggs aren’t too far behind.

You’d have to eat about 5 eggs per day to keep up on your selenium requirements, though. Vegetarians, not vegans, can give this a try— though that’s about 2-3 omelets per day.

#8: Brocolli and Vegetables

It’s not all about animal products (or Brazil nuts). Brocolli and other healthy Vegetables, too, can provide some of your daily selenium.

Some other good examples of good sources: spinach, green peas, beans, and potatoes. Vegans and vegetarians can take advantage of this. But, with vegetables alone, you’d come nowhere close to hitting the mark for your daily needs.

#9: Fortified Foods

There are always fortified foods to consider. Cereals, dairy, milk, and milk alternatives often come fortified with trace minerals like selenium. These can be helpful to both meat and plant eaters alike, but be sure to check the label to ensure it's in there.

People who seek selenium through whole foods may run into a few obstacles, however. They’ll have to eat lots of specific foods to keep up. Or, they may be limited to relying on difficult-to-source foods. Eaters with sustainability/ethical standards may have the hardest time of all.

#10. Selenium in Supplement Form

Perhaps the easiest way to get selenium is from a full spectrum daily MULTI, like Root’d.

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FAQs

Selenium questions, answered

How much selenium do I need each day?

You need around 70 mcg of selenium per day. Fortunately, most people get enough selenium naturally—if they eat a healthy, varied diet.

What does selenium do in the body?

We need selenium for healthy thyroid function.^* It’s also vital to reproductive, heart, immune, and cognitive health.^* Along with another mineral, iodine, the thyroid couldn’t function without selenium.^*

What’s the best food source of selenium?

Seafood, especially fish, is the best selenium source. You need 1-2 servings per day of foods like tuna, halibut, shrimp, or sardines to get your needs.

Can vegans and vegetarians get enough selenium from food?

Brazil nuts, broccoli and other vegetables, and fortified foods are plant-friendly options. But with vegetables alone, you’d come nowhere close to hitting the mark for your daily needs.

Can you get too much selenium?

Yes. A single Brazil nut can have MORE than your daily needs (68-91 mcg). This may cause selenium toxicity symptoms over time— carefully eating 1-3 per day is safest.

What’s the easiest way to get my daily selenium?

Perhaps the easiest way to get selenium is from a full spectrum daily MULTI, like Root’d—plus 23 other essential daily vitamins and minerals, electrolytes, and probiotics in one drink mix.^*

References

1. Professor Margaret P. Rayman (2012). Selenium and human health. The Lancet 379(9822) 1256-1268. Source
2. Fiona M. Fordyce (2012). Selenium Deficiency and Toxicity in the Environment. Essentials of Medical Geology pp. 375-416. Source
3. Office of Dietary Supplements (Updated 2019). Selenium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Source
4. SELF Nutrition Data. nutritiondata.self.com
5. Jennifer K. MacFarquhar, Dr. Danielle L. Broussard, et. al. (2011). Acute Selenium Toxicity Associated With a Dietary Supplement. Archives of Internal Medicine 170(3) 256-261. Source