Quick answer
Brazil nuts are by far the richest source of selenium, at about 544 mcg per ounce against an adult need of 55 mcg a day. Seafood, meat and poultry come next: 3 ounces of cooked yellowfin tuna has 92 mcg and shrimp 42 mcg. The selenium in plant foods depends on the soil they grew in.1
Key facts
- A food with 20% or more of the Daily Value, which for selenium means 11 mcg or more per serving, counts as a high source.1
- Selenium is bound to protein in food, so protein-rich foods tend to be the best sources.1
- Animals keep fairly steady selenium levels in their tissues, so meat varies less with local soil than plant foods do.1
- Drinking water has too little selenium to matter in most regions.1
Selenium in common foods
| Food and serving | Selenium | Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil nuts, 1 ounce (6 to 8 nuts) | 544 mcg | 989% |
| Tuna, yellowfin, cooked, 3 ounces | 92 mcg | 167% |
| Sardines, canned in oil, with bone, 3 ounces | 45 mcg | 82% |
| Shrimp, cooked, 3 ounces | 42 mcg | 76% |
| Pork chop, bone-in, broiled, 3 ounces | 37 mcg | 67% |
| Beef steak, bottom round, roasted, 3 ounces | 37 mcg | 67% |
| Spaghetti, cooked, 1 cup | 33 mcg | 60% |
| Beef liver, pan fried, 3 ounces | 28 mcg | 51% |
| Turkey, boneless, roasted, 3 ounces | 26 mcg | 47% |
| Ham, roasted, 3 ounces | 24 mcg | 44% |
| Cod, Pacific, cooked, 3 ounces | 24 mcg | 44% |
| Chicken, light meat, roasted, 3 ounces | 22 mcg | 40% |
| Cottage cheese, 1% milkfat, 1 cup | 20 mcg | 36% |
| Egg, hard-boiled, 1 large | 15 mcg | 27% |
| Baked beans, canned, 1 cup | 13 mcg | 24% |
| Oatmeal, cooked with water, 1 cup | 13 mcg | 24% |
| Portabella mushrooms, grilled, half a cup | 13 mcg | 24% |
| Brown rice, cooked, 1 cup | 12 mcg | 22% |
| Whole-wheat bread, 1 slice | 8 mcg | 15% |
| Yogurt, plain, low fat, 1 cup | 8 mcg | 15% |
| Milk, 1% fat, 1 cup | 6 mcg | 11% |
| Lentils, boiled, 1 cup | 6 mcg | 11% |
These figures come from the US Department of Agriculture's food database, as listed by NIH. Most selenium in American diets comes from everyday foods rather than from the top of this chart: bread, grains, meat, poultry, seafood and eggs.1
Brazil nuts: a lot, and hard to predict
Brazil nuts are the richest source, with an average of 544 mcg per ounce (6 to 8 nuts), or 68 to 91 mcg per nut, though other analyses vary widely.1,2
One nut can therefore cover more than a day's need, and an ounce holds nearly ten times the Daily Value. NIH gives Brazil nuts as its example of how much plant foods vary with the soil they grew in, so the number on a nutrition table is an average, not a promise about the nuts in your bag.1,2
Why plant foods vary
The selenium in plant foods depends on the soil they grew in, so it varies widely from region to region; meat and other animal foods vary much less.1
Plants take up selenium from the soil, and how much they take depends on the amount and form of selenium there, the soil's acidity and its organic matter. Animal foods are steadier because animals regulate the selenium in their tissues and livestock feeds usually contain consistent amounts. New Zealand shows how much this can matter: intakes there were once low and rose after the country imported more high-selenium wheat.1
Foods with both selenium and zinc, or selenium and iodine
| Food and serving | Selenium | Zinc |
|---|---|---|
| Beef, roasted, 3 ounces | 37 mcg (bottom round) | 3.8 mg (bottom sirloin) |
| Oatmeal, cooked with water, 1 cup | 13 mcg | 2.3 mg |
| Pork chop, bone-in, broiled, 3 ounces | 37 mcg | 1.9 mg |
| Turkey, roasted, 3 ounces | 26 mcg | 1.5 mg (breast) |
| Shrimp, cooked, 3 ounces | 42 mcg | 1.4 mg |
| Sardines, canned in oil, 3 ounces | 45 mcg | 1.1 mg |
| Food and serving | Selenium | Iodine |
|---|---|---|
| Cod, 3 ounces | 24 mcg (Pacific, cooked) | 146 mcg (baked) |
| Egg, hard-boiled, 1 large | 15 mcg | 31 mcg |
| Pasta, cooked, 1 cup | 33 mcg (spaghetti) | 30 mcg if boiled with iodized salt, 0 mcg without |
| Milk, 1 cup | 6 mcg (1% fat) | 84 mcg (nonfat) |
| Shrimp, cooked, 3 ounces | 42 mcg | 13 mcg |
| Beef liver, cooked, 3 ounces | 28 mcg | 14 mcg |
For comparison, the Daily Values are 55 mcg for selenium, 11 mg for zinc and 150 mcg for iodine. By the 20% mark for a high source, beef and oatmeal are high in both selenium and zinc, and cod, eggs and pasta cooked in iodized water are high in both selenium and iodine. Some rows pair close but not identical foods, because each NIH table lists its own cut or type, as the notes in parentheses show.1,3,4
Plant-based sources
Among plant foods on NIH's list, Brazil nuts stand far ahead. After them come cooked spaghetti, baked beans, oatmeal, portabella mushrooms and brown rice, each with 12 to 33 mcg per serving, though their content depends on where the crops grew.1
People who follow vegetarian or vegan diets may take in less selenium than others, and average intakes are low in some European countries, especially among people who eat vegan diets.1
Can food give you too much?
Brazil nuts are the one food NIH singles out as able to push intake over the adult upper limit of 400 mcg a day, which counts food as well as supplements. NIH warns that eating too many can cause selenium toxicity, with signs such as garlic breath, a metallic taste, hair loss and brittle nails. People who eat them daily and also take a selenium supplement should add both up.1,2
Questions people ask
What foods have the most selenium besides Brazil nuts?
Next on NIH's list are yellowfin tuna (92 mcg in 3 ounces), sardines (45 mcg), shrimp (42 mcg), pork chops and beef steak (37 mcg each) and cooked spaghetti (33 mcg a cup).1
How many Brazil nuts a day is too many?
At 68 to 91 mcg a nut, about 4 to 6 nuts can reach the adult upper limit of 400 mcg on their own, and analyses vary widely. Europe's food safety agency named regular Brazil nut eaters among the few adults likely to pass its lower limit of 255 mcg.2,5
Do fruit and vegetables have selenium?
Most have very little. On NIH's list, half a cup of boiled spinach has 5 mcg, a baked potato or half a cup of banana about 1 mcg, and raw carrots, peaches and iceberg lettuce none.1
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Sources
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Selenium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated September 4, 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Selenium: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated June 18, 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated January 6, 2026. Opened 2026-10-07.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Iodine: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated November 5, 2024. Opened 2026-10-07.
- EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA), Turck D, et al. Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for selenium. EFSA J. 2023;21(1):e07704. Opened 2026-10-07.
This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.