Best food groups: Fish, nuts
Also consider: Herring, flounder, perch, halibut, clams, turkey, yeast
What is selenium and why is it so important? Selenium is a trace mineral (meaning your body only needs small amounts) that has powerful antioxidant properties and may play a role in fighting cancer. It assists in producing antioxidant proteins that protect cells from free radical damage. Aside from being a great antioxidant, selenium also boosts immune function. Observational studies have found that those who include foods higher in selenium have lower rates of lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers. A French study of over two hundred elderly men and women found those who consumed more selenium-rich foods, such as seafood, had measureable health benefits, such as better brain health and improved blood profiles. Women and men who are HIV-positive often present with a selenium deficiency, which is thought to speed up the progression of the disease. Research has shown that eating high-selenium foods or taking selenium supplements may help slow down the progression of HIV and increase chances of survival.
Selenium deficiency is rarely seen in the United States; however, there are serious conditions where deficiencies do occur: Kashin-Beck disease (which results in osteoarthropathy), Keshan disease (most often seen in selenium-deficient children), enlarged heart and compromised heart function, and myxedematous endemic cretinism (results in mental retardation).
Did you know? The highest concentrations of selenium in the body are located in the thyroid, kidneys, muscles, and liver.
How much is enough?
The DV for selenium is 70 mcg, based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
Toxic levels of selenium can sometimes give off a garlic smell that can be detected on the breath. Selenium toxicity has been associated with dermatitis, loose hair, and diseased nails, and some studies suggest that high levels of selenium in the diet can be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The National Academy of Sciences has set a UL for selenium at 400 mg per day for adults.
Supplements: Selenium in the form of selenomethionine is absorbed 100 percent. Other forms of selenium supplements are not as efficiently absorbed. Selenium supplements come in capsules and tablets and are usually a component of multivitamins.
1. Brazil Nuts
A 1-ounce serving of this nut has over 750 percent of our selenium daily needs! The rest of the top seven foods don't even come close! The selenium in Brazil nuts positively impacts male testosterone levels and boosts sperm movement and production. Brazil nuts are also the highest in saturated fat out of all other nuts.
The Brazil nut tree is among the highest trees in the rainforest, reaching heights of 165 feet tall, and can live for as long as a thousand years.
2. Yellowfin Tuna
Along with being nutrient-rich in a variety of other ways , yellowfin tuna, canned in water, is an excellent source of selenium. Selenium protects the body from mercury, cadmium, and silver poisoning. This is helpful especially in those fish found with higher levels of mercury, such as tuna.
3. Orange Roughy
Several marine societies have placed the orange roughy on their "do not eat" list because the species is becoming endangered worldwide. Besides being high in selenium, it is low in fat and an excellent source of protein.
The orange roughy was originally named "slimehead." you can't imagine how sales were before the name change!
4. Rockfish
The term rockfish can refer to a number of fish, but a more familiar name is striped bass. Whatever you call it, rockfish is an excellent source of selenium and other nutrients.
5. Lobster
Lobster is an excellent source of selenium.
6. Swordfish
While every fish has some level of mercury, swordfish, along with shark, king mackerel, tuna, and other large predatory fish, contain high amounts of mercury. This is why the Environmental Defense Fund recommends that women and children under age twelve should not eat swordfish, and men should only eat it once a month, due to such high levels of mercury. That said, swordfish is an excellent source of selenium and other nutrients . A study of over eight thousand adults found that those who included ample anti-oxidant foods such as swordfish had lower levels of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein and homocysteine.
After lobsters molt and lose their shell, they are so hungry that they often eat the shell they just came from! By doing this, their calcium is replenished, which helps harden their new shell.
Swordfish have been reported to be up to 15 feet long and weighing up to 1,400 pounds! Out of twenty-five thousand fish species, only twenty-two of these cold-blooded animals have the ability to "heat their eyes"—including swordfish.
7. Oysters
Selenium-rich foods, such as oysters, help produce in the body a powerful antioxidant called glutathione, which is known to help protect against certain types of cancer.
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24