🌰 Foods Highest in Selenium — TOP 30(per 100g)
Trace mineral that forms the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase. Brazil nuts and seafood are the densest sources. FDA Daily Value: 55μg.
1–30 of 6,646 foods
What Selenium Does
Selenium is a trace mineral built into selenoproteins, most notably glutathione peroxidase, which protects cells from oxidative damage. It is also required for thyroid hormone metabolism and normal immune function.
Brazil nuts dominate this ranking at 1,917μg per 100g — more than thirty times the Daily Value. This is not a rounding artifact: Brazil nuts accumulate selenium from soil to a degree no other food matches.
After that come organ meats, mixed nuts, and seafood. Tuna, sardines, shrimp, pork, beef, and eggs are the everyday sources, and US soil selenium is generally sufficient that deficiency is rare.
Daily intake reference (FDA Daily Value)
FDA Daily Value: 55μg per day. The gap between requirement and the tolerable upper limit is narrower than for most nutrients, making selenium one of the few where excess is a realistic concern.
Getting Enough Selenium
One or two Brazil nuts is a serving
A single Brazil nut can contain 70–90μg of selenium — more than a full day's requirement. Eating them by the handful regularly is a genuine route to excess.
Seafood covers it without the risk
Tuna, sardines, shrimp, and halibut supply selenium at levels that meet needs comfortably without approaching the upper limit. So do pork, beef, poultry, and eggs.
Check for overlap in supplements
Selenium appears in most multivitamins as well as standalone products. Combining them, especially alongside Brazil nuts, is the most common way people exceed the upper limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why are Brazil nuts so extraordinarily high?
A. The Brazil nut tree has an unusually deep root system that draws selenium from soil layers other plants do not reach, and it accumulates it in the seed. Content varies widely with the soil the tree grew in.
Q. Can you get too much selenium?
A. Yes, more easily than with most minerals. Chronic excess causes hair loss, brittle nails, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The tolerable upper limit is around 400μg per day — reachable with a few Brazil nuts.
Q. Is selenium deficiency a concern in the US?
A. Rarely. US soil selenium is generally adequate and the food supply reflects that. Deficiency is mostly seen in specific low-selenium regions elsewhere and in certain clinical situations.
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Data source: USDA FoodData Central (Public Domain) — fdc.nal.usda.gov