Selenium is one of the trace elements and is involved in a variety of processes in your body. We show you here special selenium foods with which you can easily avoid a deficiency.
You don't need expensive supplements to get enough selenium. You can cover your selenium requirements with just 6 Brazil nuts a day.
But there are many more foods that contain selenium.
You'll learn in this post,
- what selenium is in the first place,
- What selenium foods are available,
- why selenium is vital for your body,
- how much you need to consume daily,
- how you can cover your needs through your diet and
- what happens if you take too little or too much selenium.
When you think of trace minerals, magnesium, calcium or iron probably come to mind first.
Less known, but essential for the body, is selenium. This mineral not only strengthens your immune system, but also ensures healthy hair.
We tell you here what health benefits are in selenium and which foods have the highest selenium content.
Table of contents
What is selenium actually?
Selenium is one of the trace elements essential for life. The selenium content in plant foods always depends on the content of the mineral in the soil. Therefore, this can vary greatly.
Throughout Europe, the selenium content in soils is now very low. Good sources of selenium are therefore mainly foods with an animal origin such as eggs, fish or meat.
Top 10 Selenium Food
Selenium foods are important for fertility, immune defense and for your organism to protect against environmental toxins, among other things.
Here you can find out which foods are the best source of selenium. Data per 100 grams.
Wow. These foods contain more vitamin C than oranges
Brazil nuts contain selenium
Attention nut fans! Brazil nuts contain many calories, but the fat is healthy. They also contain a lot of healthy nutrients. With a content of 1917 µg of selenium, Brazil nuts are the undisputed leaders of selenium foods.
Lamb provides the important trace element
Meat is generally a good source of selenium. But not only lamb meat is recommended, but also the offal such as liver. Lamb meat contains 218.8 µg selenium.
Chewing sunflower seeds for selenium needs
Especially athletes like to nibble sunflower seeds between meals. And not without reason. Besides selenium, the seeds contain many healthy fats and nutrients. Simply sprinkle them on your salad or muesli and enjoy.
Sunflower seeds have a selenium content of 79.30 µg.
Salmon as selenium food
You prefer to do without meat? Then salmon is the right food for you to supply your body with selenium. Salmon contains 41.4 µg of selenium, which puts it in fourth place among our selenium foods.
Especially wild salmon contains many healthy vital substances that are good for you. Therefore, it should be regularly on your menu.
The best salmon soup you have ever eaten
Cod as a source of selenium
Salmon is not your thing? Then you can top up your selenium levels with delicious cod dishes.
The saltwater fish can serve you as a relevant source of selenium. Cod has a selenium content of 37.60 µg.
Selenium in eggs
Starting the day with a nutritious and filling breakfast has many advantages. To take in selenium at the same time, you can prepare an omelet, scrambled eggs or fried eggs. Eggs contain 30.80 µg of selenium.
In addition, eating eggs also boosts your metabolism because chicken product is a great source of protein.
Mushrooms contain selenium
All mushroom lovers can now rejoice. Especially brown mushrooms provide a considerable content of selenium with 26 µg.
If you prefer to collect mushrooms in the forest, that's also okay. However, the soils in our country are now very low in selenium and therefore the mineral content in domestic mushrooms is not particularly high.
Cover selenium requirements with brown rice
Selenium-rich foods such as rice can be integrated into your diet. Savoury with chicken and crunchy vegetables such as carrots or sweet with milk, quark or yoghurt and a touch of Cinnamon*. Who can resist that? :-)
Rice convinces with a selenium content of 9.8 µg.
Asparagus belongs to the selenium food
Yummi! We're already looking forward to asparagus season again, and so should you. Asparagus is not only good for the figure, but also rich in vitamin C and selenium. Asparagus contains 6.10 µg of selenium.
Blue cabbage among the top 10 selenium foods
Blue cabbage, also known as red cabbage, not only has a notable amount of vitamin C, but also selenium. With a selenium content of 2.3 µg, blue cabbage is one of our top 10 selenium foods.
Tip: In the Cookbook "Healthy cooking is love you will find 80 recipes that provide your body with sufficient nutrients. Take a look :)
Why you should eat zinc and selenium foods together
Minerals are nothing more than trace elements. Your body needs relatively small amounts of them.
Experts believe that there are health benefits to combining selenium-rich foods with zinc.
This means that vitamin A, for example, can be better absorbed. Vitamin A has a positive effect on your vision. Especially on night vision.
Do you already know the best zinc foods?
Why is selenium so important for your body?
Selenium is involved in numerous processes in the body. The trace element is a component of antioxidant enzymes and therefore important to protect the organism from cell damage by free radicals.
Selenium is also important for those who have problems with thyroid hormones.
In addition, the mineral is a building block of sperm and therefore essential for male fertility.
Tip: On Amazon there is a great manual on all nutrients. You'll learn why nutrients are so important and how to best consume them.
Selenium has this effect on your psyche!
How much selenium food should I eat daily?
The need for adequate daily selenium intake increases with age. Infants and toddlers up to 3 years need between 10 and 15 µg daily.
Children between 4 and 15 years need between 20 and 60 µg per day.
From then on, the values vary only in terms of gender. Women from the age of 15 should consume 60 and men from the age of 15 70 µg of selenium.
Breastfeeding women have a slightly increased requirement of 75 µg during lactation.
More selenium is needed in special life circumstances.
The daily requirement for people who are under high physical stress or have a lot of stress and illness is slightly higher.
Especially for patients who have to undergo regular dialysis, selenium foods should be a regular part of the diet.
People with a high alcohol consumption, with increasing age, with one-sided fasting cures, vegan diets, eating disorders and diseases also have an increased need. This limits the absorption of nutrients in the intestine.
For these people, it can make sense, Food supplements to be taken after consultation with a doctor and a blood test.
However, the need is also dependent on the mineral content of selenium food. Meanwhile, our soils are poor in selenium. In international comparison, the content of selenium in Europe is very low.
Healthy eating is easy with this guide
How you can meet the requirement of 60 µg selenium daily
Women usually need 60 µg of selenium daily. To meet your needs, you can:
- 6 Brazil nuts nibble,
- 100 g shrimp,
- 50 g porcini mushrooms,
- 120 g lentils or
- Take 150 g of salmon.
How does a deficiency make itself felt?
Selenium deficiency is more common these days than you think. Soils contain less and less selenium and therefore selenium deficiencies should not be underestimated.
If your diet contains little selenium-rich foods, then you may develop a long-term deficiency.
This can make itself felt through different symptoms:
- Eye diseases or loss of visual acuity
- Susceptibility to infections
- depressive moods
- Heart disease
- Hypothyroidism
- worse wound healing
- Chronic nausea
- Skin problems
- slowed hair growth
- Bone weakness
- Ringing in the ears like tinnitus
- Disturbance of muscle function
Before you start taking supplements, have your family doctor do a blood count. This will allow him to check for a selenium deficiency.
The treatment is very simple and a deficiency can be corrected within a few weeks.
Can too much selenium be harmful?
Selenium is toxic at too high a concentration, i.e. poisonous. But do not panic!
If too much selenium is taken from time to time, the excess mineral is excreted in the urine.
Excessive intake of selenium through dietary supplements can lead to nerve disorders, liver damage, joint changes, heart muscle weakness, diarrhea, nausea, reduced bone growth, or hair loss in the long run.
Anyone who takes a lot of selenium on a permanent basis can develop what is known as selenosis.
Acute selenium poisoning can, in the worst case, lead to heart failure, ventricular fibrillation, or even death.
Our conclusion
If you notice increased symptoms of selenium deficiency, you should consult a doctor. If necessary, you will be given dietary supplements. You can also prevent a deficiency by simply eating selenium foods. Include selenium foods regularly in your diet. Your body will be supplied with sufficient selenium.
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