The Study
Dietary Reference Intakes of Selenium for Chinese Residents.
This study looked at lots of other studies about how much selenium people in China need to stay healthy. It didn't test selenium itself—it just put together what others found. So we know selenium levels in the blood go up when people eat more, but we can't say for sure that eating more selenium makes you healthier or sicker.
Analysis score
Maximum 85 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
Your body needs selenium to stay healthy, but too much can be harmful — this study figured out the perfect amounts for people in China.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 547 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — eating too much selenium (like from supplements) could make you more likely to get diabetes, while too little harms your immune system and thyroid.
- 250 micrograms a day fills your body’s selenium needs; 60 micrograms keeps almost everyone covered; more than 255 micrograms raises diabetes risk.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutrition
Year
2025
Authors
F. Han, Yiqun Liu, Qin Wang, Zhenwu Huang
Related Content
Claims (6)
Adults should not consume more than 400 micrograms of selenium per day, and the body's normal functions benefit from lower amounts of selenium.
Consuming 50 micrograms of selenium per day results in full saturation of plasma selenoprotein P in healthy Chinese adults, which reflects sufficient selenium levels in all tissues to support antioxidant defense and thyroid hormone metabolism.
For most adults in China, consuming 60 micrograms of selenium per day ensures that 97–98% of the population maintains sufficient selenium levels, based on the biological saturation point of plasma selenoprotein P and variation in individual needs.
Both too little and too much selenium in the diet are linked to worse metabolic health, including higher rates of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
In Chinese adults, consuming more than 255 micrograms of selenium per day is associated with a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes, so the recommended maximum intake should be lowered from 400 to 255 micrograms per day.
Infants under 6 months need 15 micrograms of selenium per day, and infants 7 to 12 months old need 20 micrograms per day, based on the amount of selenium found in breast milk and estimates from how much mothers consume.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.