Health Benefits of Selenium
Selenium is an antioxidant (scavengers of free-radicals) and a component of several essential enzymes. Health benefits of selenium are partly explained by its antioxidant effect. Selenium may delay or prevent the onset of cancer and also have anti-aging effect. Selenium is also an important mineral needed for proper thyroid function. It also promotes immunity system.
Selenium deficiency is associated with reduced immune cell counts and higher risk of death for HIV patients.
Selenium Toxicity
If selenium is consumed in overdose, it may have toxicity effect. The upper intake level recommended for selenium (by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences) is 45 micrograms for infants and 400 micrograms for adults.
Some of the symptoms of selenium toxicity are fatigue, hair loss, and white blotchy nails.
Natural Food Sources of Selenium
Natural food sources high in selenium include cereals (eg. corn, wheat, and rice), nuts (brazil nuts and walnuts), legumes (soybeans), animal products (beef, chicken, egg, cheese), seafood (tuna). Other selenium rich foods are oats, cods and turkey. Brazil nuts are among the very rich sources of selenium. In fact, it is advised to exercise caution with consumption of brazil nuts, as the selenium intake may reach to toxic level.
Table: List of foods high in selenium content.
| Selenium food sources |
Selenium content (µg/ 100 g food) |
| Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched |
1917.11 |
| Nuts, mixed nuts, oil roasted, with peanuts, with salt added |
421.16 |
| Fish, roughy, orange, cooked, dry heat |
88.35 |
| Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids |
80.35 |
| Fish, tuna, light, canned in oil, drained solids |
75.96 |
| Wheat flour, whole-grain |
70.67 |
| Mollusks, oyster, eastern, cooked, breaded and fried |
66.47 |
| Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, drained solids |
65.65 |
| Mollusks, oyster, eastern, wild, raw |
63.69 |
| Fish, swordfish, cooked, dry heat |
61.70 |
| Fish, swordfish, cooked, dry heat |
61.65 |
| Chicken, broilers or fryers, giblets, cooked, simmered |
59.59 |
| Fish, herring, Atlantic, pickled |
58.55 |
| Fish, flatfish (flounder and sole species), cooked, dry heat |
58.24 |
| Fish, flatfish (flounder and sole species), cooked, dry heat |
58.19 |
| Braunschweiger (a liver sausage), pork |
58.02 |
| Turkey, all classes, giblets, cooked, simmered, some giblet fat |
57.93 |
| Fish, ocean perch, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat |
55.53 |
| Fish, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone |
52.67 |
| Pork, fresh, leg (ham), whole, separable lean only, cooked, roasted |
49.88 |
| Bread stuffing, bread, dry mix, prepared |
49.80 |
| Mollusks, clam, mixed species, canned, drained solids |
48.59 |
| Fast foods, fish sandwich, with tartar sauce and cheese |
48.42 |
| Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, canned |
47.50 |
| Fish, tuna, yellowfin, fresh, cooked, dry heat |
46.82 |
| Fish, cod, Pacific, cooked, dry heat |
46.82 |
| Fish, halibut, Atlantic and Pacific, cooked, dry heat |
46.82 |
| Fish, rockfish, Pacific, mixed species, cooked, dry heat |
46.82 |
| Fish, halibut, Atlantic and Pacific, cooked, dry heat |
46.79 |
| Fish, rockfish, Pacific, mixed species, cooked, dry heat |
46.78 |
| Waffles, plain, prepared from recipe |
46.27 |
| Pork, fresh, leg (ham), whole, separable lean and fat, cooked, roasted |
45.29 |
| Oat bran, raw |
45.21 |
| Pork, fresh, loin, center loin (chops), bone-in, separable lean and fat, cooked, broiled |
44.35 |
| Fish, pollock, walleye, cooked, dry heat |
43.41 |
| Pork, fresh, loin, center rib (roasts), bone-in, separable lean only, cooked, roasted |
43.18 |
| Beef, cured, corned beef, canned |
42.92 |
| Crustaceans, lobster, northern, cooked, moist heat |
42.71 |
| Fast foods, shrimp, breaded and fried |
41.71 |
| Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, cooked, breaded and fried |
41.65 |
| Fish, tuna salad |
41.22 |
| Pork, fresh, loin, center rib (roasts), bone-in, separable lean and fat, cooked, roasted |
41.06 |
| Turkey, all classes, dark meat, cooked, roasted |
40.95 |
| Fish, haddock, cooked, dry heat |
40.53 |
| Fish, haddock, cooked, dry heat |
40.47 |
| Crustaceans, crab, blue, cooked, moist heat |
40.24 |
| Crustaceans, crab, alaska king, cooked, moist heat |
40.00 |
| Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched |
39.71 |
| Pork, fresh, loin, country-style ribs, separable lean and fat, cooked, braised |
39.65 |
| Pork, fresh, backribs, separable lean and fat, cooked, roasted |
39.29 |
| Pork, fresh, loin, center loin (chops), bone-in, separable lean and fat, cooked, pan-fried |
39.06 |
| Fish, cod, Atlantic, canned, solids and liquid |
38.12 |
| Fish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat |
37.81 |
| Fish, salmon, sockeye, cooked, dry heat |
37.76 |
| Barley, pearled, raw |
37.70 |
| Turkey, all classes, meat only, cooked, roasted |
36.79 |
| Turkey, all classes, neck, meat only, cooked, simmered |
36.18 |
| Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, self-rising, enriched |
34.40 |
| Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, enriched, bleached |
33.92 |
| Crustaceans, crab, blue, canned |
31.78 |
| Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat and skin, cooked, fried, batter |
28.00 |
| Couscous, cooked |
27.52 |
| Macaroni, cooked, enriched |
26.43 |
| Spaghetti, cooked, enriched, without added salt |
26.43 |
| Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked |
25.93 |
| Chicken, stewing, meat only, cooked, stewed |
25.21 |
| Mushrooms, shiitake, cooked, without salt |
24.83 |
| Fast foods, english muffin, with egg, cheese, and canadian bacon |
24.82 |
| Rice, white, long-grain, parboiled, enriched, dry |
23.89 |
| Noodles, egg, cooked, enriched |
23.88 |
| Fast foods, submarine sandwich, with tuna salad |
23.52 |
| Duck, domesticated, meat only, cooked, roasted |
22.40 |
| Fast foods, chicken fillet sandwich, plain |
22.20 |
| Noodles, egg, spinach, cooked, enriched |
21.81 |
| Fast foods, cheeseburger, regular, double patty and bun, plain |
21.31 |
| Pie crust, standard-type, prepared from recipe, baked |
21.11 |
| Fast foods, hamburger, regular, double patty, with condiments |
20.88 |
| Fast foods, cheeseburger, regular, double patty, plain |
20.71 |
| Fast Foods, biscuit, with egg and sausage |
19.00 |
| Fast foods, chili con carne |
17.39 |
| Fast foods, cheeseburger, large, single patty, with condiments and vegetables |
17.08 |
| Sandwiches and burgers, cheeseburger, large, single meat patty, with bacon and condiments |
16.92 |
| Cheese, ricotta, part skim milk |
16.71 |
| Sandwiches and burgers, hamburger, large, single meat patty, with condiments and vegetables |
15.41 |
| Milk, canned, condensed, sweetened |
14.80 |
| Cheese, ricotta, whole milk |
14.51 |
| Fast foods, taco |
13.69 |
| Spaghetti with meat sauce, frozen entree |
11.91 |
Data source:
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, release 18. |
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