How much selenium is in a brazil nut compared with sunflower seeds?
Brazil nuts, dried, unblanched has 23.8× more selenium per 100 g, 1917 µg against 80.4 µg in Sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted. That is 3485% of the Daily Value against 146%.
Daily Value 55 µg. Per 100 g, so the two are directly comparable.
| Per 100 g | Brazil nuts, dried, unblanched | Sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 659 kcal | 612 kcal |
| Protein | 14.3 g | 21 g |
| Total fat | 67.1 g | 56.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 11.7 g | 17.1 g |
| Dietary fiber | 7.5 g | 10.3 g |
| Selenium | 1917 µg | 80.4 µg |
What this means for you
This is the one comparison on the site where the winner comes with a warning.
Established. A single brazil nut carries 68 to 91 micrograms of selenium. The daily requirement for an adult is 55 micrograms. One nut covers the day, with change.
Not for everyone. The upper limit is 400 micrograms a day. Five or six brazil nuts can pass it, and the source we use says plainly that brazil nuts could cause selenium toxicity if eaten regularly. Chronic excess shows up as hair loss and brittle or failing nails, with skin rash, nausea, diarrhoea, fatigue, irritability and nervous system problems also reported. Treat them as a nut you eat one or two of, not a handful.
Sunflower seeds are the sane everyday option here. They carry a useful amount of selenium without any of the arithmetic, and a normal portion cannot get you into trouble.
Written from the evidence cards and the data on this page, then checked back against the sources. Bioma Learn has no human medical reviewer at this time and we say so rather than invent one. Information, not medical advice. How we verify.
The comparison is per 100 g of edible portion, so the two foods sit on the same footing. Real portions differ, and so does how much of the nutrient your body actually absorbs from each food. The guide below has the absorption details.
Brazil nuts, dried, unblanched → · Sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted →
Full guide: Selenium: a deficiency that kills and a supplement that does not help
Data: USDA FoodData Central, FDC IDs 170569 and 325524. Checked 2026-09-15.