How do you get rid of excess selenium in your body? A guide to managing selenosis

October 6, 2025 •

4 min read

While selenium is a vital trace mineral, consuming too much can lead to a toxic condition called selenosis, with symptoms like garlic breath, hair loss, and fatigue. The key to management is identifying the source of excess intake and addressing it appropriately under medical supervision.

Quick Summary

Managing selenium toxicity, or selenosis, requires stopping supplements and limiting high-selenium foods like Brazil nuts. Treatment is supportive, as no specific antidote exists for selenium overdose.

Key Points

Stop Supplements: The most common and highest-risk cause of selenosis is the overuse of selenium supplements; stop taking them immediately.
Limit Brazil Nuts: Brazil nuts contain extremely high selenium levels, making regular, unmonitored consumption a primary dietary risk.
Avoid High-Selenium Foods: Temporarily reduce intake of high-selenium foods, such as seafood and organ meats, under a doctor's guidance.
Seek Supportive Care: No specific antidote exists for selenium toxicity; treatment focuses on managing symptoms while the body naturally eliminates the excess.
Stay Hydrated: Increasing fluid intake can aid the kidneys in flushing out excess selenium more efficiently.
Consult a Professional: Always seek medical advice for suspected selenosis to ensure proper diagnosis and safe management.

What is Selenosis and How Does it Occur?

Selenosis is the term for chronic selenium intoxication, which typically results from long-term, high-dose exposure. While the human body requires selenium in small amounts for proper metabolic function, maintaining a narrow window between adequate and toxic intake is crucial. The tolerable upper intake level for adults is set at 400 micrograms (mcg) per day. Consistently exceeding this limit, particularly through supplements, is the most common cause of selenosis in developed countries.

Excessive exposure can also stem from environmental factors, such as living in regions with high selenium concentrations in the soil, which can lead to high levels in locally grown food and water. However, cases from dietary sources are far less common than those from supplementation errors or overconsumption.

Identifying the Symptoms of Excess Selenium

The symptoms of selenosis can be varied and may overlap with other conditions, making diagnosis challenging. A key sign is a distinct garlic-like odor on the breath, which is caused by the body's metabolism of excess selenium into dimethyl selenide. Other characteristic symptoms include:

A metallic taste in the mouth
Hair loss and brittle nails or nail loss
Gastrointestinal distress, such as nausea and diarrhea
Fatigue and irritability
Skin rashes or lesions
Neurological problems, including numbness or tingling in the extremities

In severe cases of acute toxicity, symptoms can escalate to tremors, lightheadedness, and organ failure.

How to Get Rid of Excess Selenium in Your Body

The most effective strategy for managing excess selenium is to remove the source of overexposure. Since the body naturally excretes excess selenium, symptoms of mild to moderate selenosis often resolve within weeks or months once the intake is reduced. However, this process must be carefully monitored by a healthcare professional.

Eliminating Supplements and High-Selenium Foods

The first step is to immediately stop taking all selenium supplements. Since supplement manufacturing errors have historically caused severe cases of poisoning, this is a critical action. Next, adjust your diet to avoid or drastically limit foods with very high selenium content. These include:

Brazil Nuts: Just one to two Brazil nuts can provide a full day's requirement of selenium, making them a significant risk for overdose if consumed regularly.
Seafood: Certain fish and shellfish, such as yellowfin tuna, halibut, and shrimp, are particularly high in selenium.
Organ Meats: Foods like beef liver are rich sources and should be avoided.
Other high-protein foods: While they contain less selenium than the above, limiting large quantities of meat, poultry, and eggs may also be advised depending on the severity of the toxicity.

Medical Management and Supportive Care

There is currently no specific antidote or standard chelation therapy for selenium toxicity. Some research has even suggested that chelation may worsen toxicity in animals, so it is generally not recommended. Treatment is primarily supportive and aims to manage symptoms while the body naturally eliminates the excess mineral. Supportive care measures can include:

Increased Fluid Intake: Staying hydrated can help the kidneys excrete the excess selenium via urine.
Monitoring: Regular blood and urine tests can track selenium levels and the effectiveness of dietary changes.
Symptom Management: Healthcare providers may address specific symptoms, such as gastrointestinal distress, with appropriate medications.
Severe Cases: In instances of severe acute toxicity, intravenous hydration and close medical monitoring in a hospital setting may be necessary.

A Comparison of Selenium Sources and Toxicity Risk


Source	Risk Factor for Toxicity	Why It Poses a Risk
Dietary Supplements	Highest	Often contain concentrated amounts of selenium, and manufacturing errors or overuse can lead to extremely high, acutely toxic doses.
Foods from High-Soil Regions	Moderate to High	Food grown in selenium-rich soil can have higher mineral content. This is more of a regional public health issue, but can affect individuals who rely heavily on local produce.
Brazil Nuts	High	A unique dietary source containing an exceptionally high concentration of selenium. Regular, unmoderated consumption can easily lead to selenosis.
Seafood and Organ Meats	Moderate	While good sources, consuming normal amounts is unlikely to cause toxicity unless paired with supplements or other high-intake behaviors.
Tap Water	Lowest	Most drinking water sources contain very low levels of selenium, though exposure is possible near hazardous waste sites.

Conclusion

Getting rid of excess selenium in your body is primarily a matter of stopping the source of intake, most often high-dose supplements, and allowing the body's natural excretion processes to work. While mild cases often resolve with simple dietary adjustments, severe cases require immediate medical attention and supportive care. Consulting with a healthcare provider is essential for proper diagnosis and management, as there is no single cure-all remedy for selenosis. Being mindful of your selenium sources, especially supplements and very high-content foods like Brazil nuts, is the best preventative measure against this potentially serious condition.

For more detailed information on selenium and public health, refer to the CDC's Public Health Statement.

Frequently Asked Questions

The maximum safe daily intake for adults is 400 micrograms (mcg) per day from all sources, including food and supplements.

Most of the selenium that enters the body leaves quickly, often within 24 hours. However, if exposure levels are very high or occur over a long period, it can build up in the body and take weeks to months to normalize after stopping intake.

Yes, although it is rare. Overconsumption of foods with exceptionally high levels, like Brazil nuts, can cause selenosis. It is also a risk for people in regions with high selenium soil who eat a lot of local produce.

Early symptoms often include a garlic-like odor in the breath, a metallic taste in the mouth, and gastrointestinal issues like nausea and diarrhea.

No, there is no standard chelation therapy for selenium toxicity. Some animal research even suggests it might increase toxicity, and supportive care is the standard approach.

Prolonged high selenium intake can lead to permanent damage, particularly to the nervous system. Chronic selenosis can also cause severe hair and nail damage, fatigue, and other neurological issues.

Yes, in areas with high selenium soil, there have been observed effects on fetal development in animals. For humans, excessive intake during pregnancy is considered possibly unsafe above 400 mcg daily.