Selenium
Intake model: one reported food record, food date unconfirmed. References: man aged 19–30. How to read the references.
No change indicated. The food estimate supplies substantial selenium; no supplement or selenium-focused nut addition follows. Preserve US/EU UL differences and composition uncertainty.
Linked eating record; usual intake and clinical status unestablished · Reviewed 2026-10-10
Intake confidence: Moderate. Quantity confidence: Limited. Body status: Unassessed.
FDA values describe food labels.
Selenium
175 µg counted from food.
| Recommended intake | Upper reference | Food label reference |
|---|---|---|
| 55 µg (RDA) US National Academies · Food and oral supplements | 400 µg (UL) US National Academies · Food and oral supplements | 55 µg (DV) FDA · Adults and children 4+ |
Other authority and form-specific references
- 255 µg/day (UL)
EFSA · Total dietary seleniumUS primary UL remains 400 µg/day.
Food contributions and uncertainty
Values are available for 13 of 13 recorded foods. 1 contribution(s) use an incomplete recipe or comparator. Product identity and portion assumptions still limit accuracy.
The saved portion/recipe scenarios span 163–199 µg. This is a sensitivity range, not a confidence interval; uncertain food composition and unreported foods can fall outside it.
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| Food | Model portion | Contribution | Source basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| RT RT roast chicken meat and skin | 299 g estimated | 71 µg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Crown Prince Natural Skinless boneless sardines in olive oil | 80 g assumed | 42 µg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Trader Joe's European style organic plain nonfat yogurt | 907 g reported | 33 µg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Trader Joe's Organic basmati rice frozen | 283 g reported | 21 µg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Banana | 472 g reported | 4.7 µg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Raw English walnuts | 15 g assumed | 0.74 µg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Trader Joe's Organic raw almonds | 15 g estimated | 0.62 µg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Hass avocado | 150 g assumed | 0.6 µg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Raspberries | 170 g assumed | 0.34 µg | Generic USDA comparator |
| Red bell pepper | 150 g assumed | 0.15 µg | Generic USDA comparator |
Provisional or modeled zeros:
- RT RT chimichurri: Partial recipe estimate.
These are model inputs or current label declarations. They do not prove exact absence in the original package.
Role and two legitimate upper-reference systems
Selenium supports selenoproteins involved in thyroid hormone metabolism and protection against oxidative damage. The US adult RDA is 55 µg/day and UL is 400 µg/day from all sources. Excessive selenium can cause hair or nail problems and other toxicity. NIH selenium fact sheet
The website uses US references consistently, while preserving material differences: EFSA set an adult UL of 255 µg/day in 2023, using a newer assessment of adverse effects. The two values should not be merged into an invented universal safe ceiling. Their difference argues against treating a UL as an optimization target. EFSA selenium UL opinion, 2023
What the latest diet supplies
The saved estimate is about 175 µg, with portion sensitivity 163–199 µg. Estimated chicken contributes about 71 µg, the sardine comparator 42 µg, generic yogurt 33 µg and rice 21 µg. Selenium composition varies, and several contributions are generic rather than matching product measurements.
The attention flag is No change indicated. The current estimate gives no case for a selenium supplement or a selenium-focused food addition. It neither measures selenium status nor proves safety under every unreported condition. The practical conclusion is about this food pattern: more is not required merely because selenium participates in antioxidant enzymes.
An instructive failure of the antioxidant hypothesis
SELECT randomized 35,533 older men to selenium, vitamin E, both or placebo. Selenium was 200 µg/day as L-selenomethionine. The initial trial found no reduction in prostate cancer; extended follow-up still did not show a significant protective effect of selenium. The vitamin E arm increased prostate cancer risk. These results are not a trial of sardines or a recommendation about a young man's prostate screening. They demonstrate that promising mechanisms and earlier observational signals do not guarantee preventive benefit from concentrated supplements. Lippman et al., 2009, Klein et al., 2011
Why Brazil nuts would be a different choice
Walnuts and almonds are already enjoyed. Substituting a handful of Brazil nuts specifically to raise selenium could add a large, poorly predictable amount. Original analytical work found substantial variation among Brazilian regions; nut count cannot reliably represent a fixed selenium dose. This does not make Brazil nuts forbidden, but it makes them an unsuitable automatic supplement substitute for a diet already supplying considerable selenium. Silva Junior et al., 2017
The useful shopping decision is to choose nuts for enjoyment and the whole diet, then account for a new product's distinct composition. No selenium-directed change follows from the current day.