Selenium is an essential mineral - it's not a novel compound with very little research behind it, it demonstrably plays an important role in the body's antioxidant capabilities. In other words, it can be a useful tool for those looking to minimize inflammation.
While it's available in seafood, Brazil nuts, brown rice, and animal products, not everybody meets their recommended daily intake (RDI). Note that it is possible to have too much selenium, but the upper limit appears to be in the area of 1,500 micrograms, more than 25 time the RDI. If you want to keep your bases covered and ensure you're getting your daily 55 micrograms, these are the best supplements on the market.
Editor's note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It's always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine. Individual needs for vitamins and minerals will vary.
Doctor's Best uses yeast in their supplement, which absorbs selenium and converts it into the form that's naturally found in foods. They've also combined it with Coq10, an antioxidant that can be low in older folks or those taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Doctor's Best Coq10 Plus Selenium Yeast
Yeast is used to create a natural form of selenium, which is combined with Coq10 to enhance its antioxidant strength.
Shop AmazonThe yeast creates a natural form of selenium that's found in whole foods. Luckily for those who follow vegan diets, these capsules are vegan friendly - no animal product based gelatins here. The antioxidant strength is enhanced via the added Coq10.
Who Should Buy Doctor's Best Coq10 Plus Selenium Yeast
Who Shouldn't Buy Doctor's Best Coq10 Plus Selenium Yeast
It may be obvious, but still worth pointing out that this product isn't compatible with yeast allergies. For consumers who are particular about which additives are in their supplements, the Coq10 comes in the form of ubiquinone, which is oxidized - some prefer ubiquinol, but there's not a lot of evidence suggesting one is less effective than the other.
Nutricost has produced a great supplement that's yeast free and its source of the mineral is selenomethionine, which current evidence favors over other forms of the mineral. The capsules are also vegan, plus it's third party tested for purity and label accuracy.
Nutricost Selenium 200mcg
A yeast-free, easily absorbed supplement that's third party tested and well absorbed.
Shop AmazonThis supplement uses a very well-researched and easily absorbable form of selenium. As they're yeast free, the capsules are suitable for those with yeast allergies, as well as those avoiding gluten or animal products. The product is third party tested for purity and label accuracy.
Who Should Buy Nutricost Selenium 200mcg
Who Shouldn't Buy Nutricost Selenium 200mcg
Although these are gluten-free and yeast-free, important factors for people who have to contend with allergies, these capsules contain carrageenan and cellulose. Most people are not likely going to have their purchasing decision altered by the inclusion of those two ingredients, but for those that are, another option on this list may be more suitable.
This no-frills supplement is reasonably priced and delivers almost 60 percent of the recommended daily intake in each drop, making it easy to adjust your intake based on how much of it you feel you need. Add that to the fact that unlike a lot of other liquid supplements it's third party tested and it uses selenomethionine, and you've got a quality liquid selenium product.
Go Nutrients Selenium
A no-frills selenium supplement that's well priced and third party tested for purity.
Shop AmazonThe product delivers almost 60 percent of the daily intake of selenium per drop - one “serving” is six drops. The product has been independently certified by a third party, NSF, for potency. The facility in which it's made is in the United States and certified Good Manufacturing Practices.
Who Should Buy Go Nutrients Selenium
Who Shouldn't Buy Go Nutrients Selenium
Not everyone enjoys the taste of liquid selenium, which may be a reason to move onto a capsule alternative. If the product isn't milky or cloudy, that indicates a defective product that should be replaced. At the end of the day, the only real knocks against this were potentially the taste if you're not accustomed to it and the experienced eye to spot deficiencies. Beyond that, this is a great go-to liquid option.
Some prefer to take an amino acid chelated form of selenium. There's not a ton of evidence it's absorbed more effectively than other forms, but if you're convinced that it is, Bronson offers a solid option that's lab tested for purity, made in a GMP-certified facility, and even delivered in vegan capsules.
Bronson's Selenium 200mcg
A chelated form of selenium that's lab tested for purity and free from yeast.
Shop AmazonThe product is totally free from GMOs, gluten, and soy. Additionally, the capsules are vegetarian friendly, opening up the range of diets it is suitable for.
Who Should Buy Bronson's Selenium 200mcg
Who Shouldn't Buy Bronson's Selenium 200mcg
What is going to set this product apart from comparable capsule options is the fact that the form of selenium is in the form of amino acid chelate. Ultimately, that means that it is a personal preference thing as the evidence isn't solid enough to support it being any more or less effective than other forms. That being said, this is a fine product worthy of a rank in our top picks. Consumers should be aware that the capsules contain silicon dioxide and cellulose, which some may prefer to limit.
Not sure which form of selenium to take? Life Extension combines several forms of the mineral, including a yeast-free form of selenomethionine along with a dose of Vitamin E to up the antioxidant strength of the product. The supplements are also made in an NSF-certified facility, which means it's inspected by a third party to verify manufacturing practices.
Life Extension Super Selenium Complex
A yeast-free selenium supplement that contains extra Vitamin E.
Shop AmazonThe product delivers a day's worth of Vitamin E to enhance the antioxidant strength and act as a natural preservative. The capsules are vegetarian friendly. The supplement is made in a NSF-certified facility in the United States.
Who Should Buy Life Extension Super Selenium Complex
Who Shouldn't Buy Life Extension Super Selenium Complex
The capsules contain silica and cellulose, which some prefer to limit. That is the only major knock we can find in this product as any other downsides are fairly subjective. The added daily dose of Vitamin E might a great draw for those that are happy to have it and the third party vetting hoists Life Extension's capsules into a top spot on our list.
Knowing the dose of any supplement is going to be important for cost considerations. The easy way to compare the price of two products is to just find what an equivalent serving is of each product and then divide that by the number of servings offered by each.
In addition to price, the dose is also the biggest tell if a product is going to fit what you are looking for in your supplementation. If a product offers a very high dose of selenium and that's what you want, then great. The dose of selenium will vary from product to product, but there are other factors at play that can affect the dose beyond what the producer decided the serving should be.
For example, if there are other ingredients added to a particular product, such as a vitamin or two, that may affect the amount of selenium in the product recipe. We had to take dose into consideration in our ranks by using a standardized daily serving as the point to compare and contrast, but your needs may differ from that. Having an idea of what dose you're looking for before looking into options on the market will help narrow the pool down to a select few.
This is pretty much the two main ways a selenium supplement is going to be sold as. There isn't evidence to suggest that one is better than the other, so the biggest factor will be personal preference. Capsules can have certain ingredients that may be unwanted such as silica, silicon dioxide, etc. but if those things don't bother you then there are a large number of products you'll get to choose from.
The other factor to consider when it comes to capsules is checking to make sure they are compatible with your diet. Not all capsules are going to be vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free friendly. If your diet falls into one of those categories, be sure to check if there is a gelatin used in the capsule that would be unsuitable for you.
When it comes to liquid, the serving will usually be done in drops, which means you have to be comfortable using a dropper to get the appropriate serving sizes. A potential downside of liquid compared to capsules is that the liquid may have an obscure taste that some may not enjoy. Look around if there are any reviews of the liquid you're considering to see if customers have suggested any odd tastes they encountered.
If a product has been tested thoroughly by a third party for purity, potency, and manufacturing practices, they will rank higher on our list than those that don't. That is not to say that products that don't have third party certifications for product transparency shouldn't be considered, it is simply that those certifications can offer the piece of mind that you are consuming something made with a certain quality standard.
This is the most widely accepted benefit of selenium.(1)(2)(3) Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which contribute to a huge variety of ailments and many areas of the aging process.
Some research, like a 2015 study published in Advances in Nutrition, found selenium to strengthen the immune system.(4)
Selenium is sometimes considered important for optimal levels of testosterone, and some research has suggested that the mineral may improve testosterone levels and/or enhance sperm motility.(5)(6)(7)(8) That said, some research has found supplements to either not affect testosterone levels or even to decrease sperm motility.(9)(10) These studies used high doses, about six times the recommended daily intake. Still, more research is needed in this area.
A small study of 14 patients found that taking 200 micrograms of selenium per day over eight weeks significantly reduced total lesion counts in those with acne vulgaris.(11) The difference is notable but not statistically significant.
Taking too much selenium, as in over 1,500 micrograms a day (that's over 27 time the recommended amount) is associated with harm, and 3,000 micrograms can cause direct DNA damage.(12)(13)(14). That said, doses of up to 800 micrograms don't appear to cause harm.(15)
Just one handful of Brazil nuts delivers almost 10 times the RDI for selenium. Note that selenium content does depend on the quality of the soil it's grown in, so it can be hard to know for certain how much is in a serving.
While some of these supplements do exceed the recommended intake for selenium, they don't approach harmful levels and they can be taken in a well balanced diet. As always, though, make sure you speak to your doctor before making any changes to your nutrition or supplement regimen.
1. Schnabel R, et al. Selenium supplementation improves antioxidant capacity in vitro and in vivo in patients with coronary artery disease The SElenium Therapy in Coronary Artery disease Patients (SETCAP) Study. Am Heart J. 2008 Dec;156(6):1201.e1-11.
2. Puspitasari IM, et al. Updates on clinical studies of selenium supplementation in radiotherapy. Radiat Oncol. 2014 May 29;9:125.
3. Cai X, et al. Selenium Exposure and Cancer Risk: an Updated Meta-analysis and Meta-regression. Sci Rep. 2016 Jan 20;6:19213.
4. Steinbrenner H, et al. Dietary selenium in adjuvant therapy of viral and bacterial infections. Adv Nutr. 2015 Jan 15;6(1):73-82.
5. Domosławska A, et al. Improvement of Sperm Motility Within One Month Under Selenium and Vitamin E Supplementation in Four Infertile Dogs with Low Selenium Status. J Vet Res. 2019 Jun 12;63(2):293-297.
6. Vézina D, et al. Selenium-vitamin E supplementation in infertile men. Effects on semen parameters and micronutrient levels and distribution. Biol Trace Elem Res. 1996 Summer;53(1-3):65-83.
7. Scott R, et al. The effect of oral selenium supplementation on human sperm motility. Br J Urol. 1998 Jul;82(1):76-80.
8. Safarinejad MR, et al. Efficacy of selenium and/or N-acetyl-cysteine for improving semen parameters in infertile men: a double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized study. J Urol. 2009 Feb;181(2):741-51.
9. Hawkes WC, et al. Effects of dietary selenium on sperm motility in healthy men. J Androl. 2001 Sep-Oct;22(5):764-72.
10. Hawkes WC, et al. Selenium supplementation does not affect testicular selenium status or semen quality in North American men. J Androl. 2009 Sep-Oct;30(5):525-33.
11. Sahib, A et al. Effects of Oral Antioxidants on Lesion Counts Associated with Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Patients with Papulopustular Acne. J Clin Exp Dermatol Res 2012, 3:5
12. Reid ME, et al. A report of high-dose selenium supplementation: response and toxicities. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2004;18(1):69-74.
13. Brozmanová J, et al. Selenium: a double-edged sword for defense and offence in cancer. Arch Toxicol. 2010 Dec;84(12):919-38.
14. Whanger PD. Selenium and its relationship to cancer: an update. Br J Nutr. 2004 Jan;91(1):11-28.
15. Schrauzer GN. Nutritional selenium supplements: product types, quality, and safety. J Am Coll Nutr. 2001 Feb;20(1):1-4.
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