Selenium Content of Food Consumed by Canadians

Abstract
Four composite diets from three cities, each representing the daily per capita consumption of foods in Canada, contained on analysis 191, 220, 113, and 150 µg selenium. Cereals provided the most selenium (62–112 µg) followed by meat, poultry, and fish (25–90 µg) and dairy products (5–25 µg). The average daily intake of selenium in Canada was also calculated from published analytical data and the per capita disappearance of unprepared foods. The total intake was 197 µg/day, and the major sources were wheat flour (98 µg), pork (21 µg), poultry products (24 µg), and fish (17 µg). Because the average diet is rich in selenium, the possibility of a deficiency in the adult is considered to be remote. Milk is relatively low in selenium, and thus the greatest deprivation in humans would occur during infancy.
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