Selenium intake recommendations by different organizations


In the table below you can see official recommendations by government bodies or national nutrition societies regarding selenium intake. Please be sure to note that all amounts are given in µg/g (micrograms per gram) and not in mg/g.



Dietary selenium recommendations for adults (μg/d) by different organizations

Year

Country

Organization

LRNI

EAR / AR

PRI / RDA / RNI

AI

M

W

M

W

M

W

M

W

2021

France

ANSES

--

--

--

--

--

70

2020

Japan

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

--

25

20

30

25

--

--

2019

Spain

AESAN

--

--

--

70

55

--

2018

Philippines

FNRI-DOST

--

33.3

26.3

38

33

--

2018

Netherlands

Health Council

--

--

--

--

70

2015

Germany, Austria, Switzerland

DACH

--

--

--

--

70

60

2014

Europe

EFSA

--

--

--

--

70

2014

Italy

SINU

--

--

55

--

2013

China

CNS

--

50

60

--

2012

Nordic countries

Nordic Council of Ministers

--

35

30

60

50

--

2006

Australia & New Zealand

Department of Health and Ageing

--

60

50

70

60

--

2004

United Nations

WHO

--

27

0.42 µg/ kgBW/d

20

0.37 µg/ kgBW/d

34

26

--

2000

USA

IOM

--

45

55

--

1991

UK

Department of Health

40

--

75

60

--

AI: adequate intake – this amount is estimated to meet the nutrient requirement of everyone (i.e. 100% of the population).
AR: average requirement – this amount is estimated to meet the nutrient requirement of 50% of the population.
EAR: estimated average requirement – same as “AR”
LRNI (in the UK): lower reference nutrient intake – this amount is estimated to meet the nutrient requirement of only 2.5% of the population (i.e., this is estimated to not be enough for most people).
PRI: population reference intake – this amount is estimated to meet the nutrient requirement 97.5% of the population (i.e., almost everyone); this is the typical “intake recommendation”; that is, it’s more than what most people really require.
RDA: recommended dietary allowance – same as PRI
RNI: reference nutrient intake – same as PRI

AESAN: Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition
ANSES: French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety
CNS: Chinese Nutrition Society
DACH: Nutrition society of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
EFSA: European Food Safety Authority
FNRI-DOST: Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology
IOM: Institute of Medicine (USA), has been renamed National Academy of Medicine (NAM)
SINU: Italian Society of Human Nutrition
WHO: World Health Organization

kgBW: kilogram body weight
M: men
W: women


References

  • ANSES (2021): Opinion of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety on the ‘Updating of the French Dietary Reference Values for Vitamins and Minerals’. Link
  • Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2020): Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese. Link [Link updated 10 February 2024]
  • AESAN (2019): Report of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) on the Nutritional Reference Intakes for the Spanish Population. Link
  • Health Council (Netherlands, 2018): National Council of the Netherlands. Dietary Reference Values for Vitamins and Minerals for Adults Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague. Link
  • Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST; Philippines, 2015, revised 2018): Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes (PDRI). Link
  • DACH (2015): Kipp AP, Strohm D, Brigelius-Flohé R et al.: Revised reference values for selenium intake. J Trace Elem Med Biol 32, 195–199. Link
  • EFSA (2014): EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies) (2014) Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for selenium. EFSA J 12, 3846. Link
  • SINU (2014): Società Italiana di Nutrizione Umana. LARN – Livelli di assunzione di riferimento di nutrientie energia per la popolazione italiana – IV revision. SICS, Milan. Link
  • Chinese Nutrition Society (2013): Chinese Dietary Reference Intake – Summary People’s Medical Publishing House. Link
  • Nordic Council of Ministers (2012): NNR Project Group, Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2012, Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen, Denmark. Link
  • Australian Government / Ministry of Health New Zealand (2006): Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Australian Government. Department of Health and Aging. National Health and Medical Research Council. Ministry of Health New Zealand. Link
  • WHO (2004): World Health Organization (2004) Vitamin and Mineral Requirements in Human Nutrition, Second Edition, 194–216. Bangkok, Thailand: Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation. World Health Organization, Geneva. Link
  • IOM (2000): Institute of Medicine (US) Panel on Dietary Antioxidants and Related Compounds (2000) Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US). Link
  • UK Department of Health (1991): Dietary reference values for food energy and nutrients for the United Kingdom. Report of the panel on dietary reference values of the committee on medical aspects of food policy. Rep Health Soc Subj 41, 1–210. Link



This kind of overview was originally found in: Fairweather-Tait et al. (2023).