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What foods contain selenium?

The main source of dietary items for selenium are plant foods. They span a large percentage of countries throughout the world. Depending on the content of selenium found in the soil where the plants are grown has a lot to do with how much selenium the surrounding people have in their system.

As an example, individuals researching the topic know that soils in areas of Nebraska and North and South Dakota have high levels of selenium. Those people living in these areas have some of the highest levels of selenium in their system then anybody else in the United States. Alternatively, areas of China and Russia have very low amounts of selenium and deficiency of selenium is reported often in these areas.

Selenium can be found in a lot of seafood and different types of meats. Those animals that eat plants and grains grown in areas with high contents of selenium can expect to have high quantities of selenium, as well. Meats and bread are very common sources of selenium in the United States, as are some nuts.

The content of selenium in different foods can vary. As a sample, Brazilian nuts can contain 544 micrograms of selenium for each ounce, while some can contain much, much less. Because of their unusually high content of selenium, it’s recommended to only digest them occasionally.

Below is a table with foods that contain selenium.

Food	Micrograms (μg)	Percent DV*
Brazil nuts, dried, unblanched, 1 ounce	544	780
Tuna, light, canned in oil, drained, 3 ounces	63	95
Beef, cooked, 3½ ounces	35	50
Spaghetti w/ meat sauce, frozen entrée, 1 serving	34	50
Cod, cooked, 3 ounces	32	45
Turkey, light meat, roasted, 3½ ounces	32	45
Beef chuck roast, lean only, roasted, 3 ounces	23	35
Chicken Breast, meat only, roasted, 3½ ounces	20	30
Noodles, enriched, boiled, 1/2 cup	17	25
Macaroni, elbow, enriched, boiled, 1/2 cup	15	20
Egg, whole, 1 medium	14	20
Cottage cheese, low fat 2%, 1/2 cup	12	15
Oatmeal, instant, fortified, cooked, 1 cup	12	15
Rice, white, enriched, long grain, cooked, 1/2 cup	12	15
Rice, brown, long-grained, cooked, 1/2 cup	10	15
Bread, enriched, whole wheat, commercially prepared, 1 slice	10	15
Walnuts, black, dried, 1 ounce	5	8
Bread, enriched, white, commercially prepared, 1 slice	4	6
Cheddar cheese, 1 ounce	4	6

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