What Foods Are High in Yttrium? Tracing the Rare Element in Your Diet

December 21, 2025 •

4 min read

While yttrium has no known biological role in humans, trace amounts are naturally present throughout the biosphere. It is crucial to understand that no food is "high" in yttrium in a nutritionally significant sense, and dietary exposure levels are consistently low.

Quick Summary

Trace amounts of yttrium can be found in some foods, with certain edible plants like cabbage accumulating slightly more, but levels are extremely low and pose no known dietary health risk.

Key Points

Yttrium is not an essential nutrient: Unlike vital minerals like calcium or iron, yttrium has no known biological role in human health.
Levels in food are extremely low: Scientific surveys have shown that dietary exposure to yttrium and other rare earth elements is minimal and well below safe intake levels.
Trace amounts found in plants and animals: Yttrium naturally exists in the soil and is absorbed in minute quantities by plants, which can then be transferred up the food chain.
Cabbage and seeds may contain slightly more: Some studies note higher concentrations of yttrium in cabbage and the seeds of woody plants compared to other flora, but these are still trace amounts.
Tea and seafood show measurable traces: Tea and aquatic products have also been shown to contain measurable, though low, levels of total rare earth elements, including yttrium.
Health risks are tied to industrial exposure: Health concerns like lung damage are associated with industrial inhalation of yttrium dust, not with consuming the trace dietary levels found in food.

What is Yttrium?

Yttrium is a rare earth element, a group of metallic elements that includes the lanthanides, as well as scandium. It is a silvery-white, soft metal but is never found as a free element in nature, instead occurring in rare-earth minerals. The name "rare earth" is somewhat misleading, as these elements are not particularly rare in the Earth's crust, but they are difficult and expensive to separate. Industrially, yttrium is used in electronics, lasers, and medical treatments, but its biological function in humans is not understood.

Yttrium's Journey into the Food Chain

Like other trace minerals, yttrium makes its way into the food chain through natural absorption from soil and water. The amount found in food is influenced by several factors, including the local soil composition, the specific plant or animal species, and environmental pollution. Plants absorb trace elements from the soil, and animals ingest them by consuming those plants, concentrating them in different parts of their bodies. A 2022 dietary exposure study in China confirmed that low levels of yttrium are present across a wide range of food categories.

Foods Containing Trace Amounts of Yttrium

Because yttrium is not a necessary nutrient, data on its exact levels in common foods is limited. However, available studies and mineral analyses give us a picture of where trace amounts may be found. It is important to emphasize that these are not sources of yttrium for nutritional purposes, but rather examples of its minute presence in our diet.

Vegetables and Plant-Based Foods

Some of the highest concentrations of yttrium in edible plants have been observed in certain species and specific parts of plants:

Cabbage: One study suggests cabbage can have significantly higher levels of yttrium (20-100 ppm fresh weight) than other common plants (around 0.6 ppm). However, another study found relatively low levels in vegetables in a former mining area.
Seeds of woody plants: These can accumulate high concentrations, reportedly up to 700 ppm.
Root vegetables: The FooDB database, which documents the chemical composition of foods, lists yttrium as present in trace amounts in carrots, turnips, and red beetroot.
Legumes: Beans are known for their mineral content, and while specific yttrium data is scarce, they are a pathway for trace elements to enter the food chain.

Animal Products and Seafood

Animals and aquatic life can also contain trace amounts of yttrium, with some studies confirming its presence, though at low concentrations:

Eggs: A Chinese survey of major foods found trace amounts of yttrium, along with other rare earth elements, in eggs.
Seafood and Seaweed: Aquatic products and edible seaweed are mentioned as potential sources of trace elements, with yttrium being one of the more abundant rare earth elements found. A study on mussels and oysters also found trace levels.
Organ Meats: Liver is often cited as rich in various minerals, and a study on rare earth elements in livestock indicated some accumulation, though negligible, in edible tissues.

Other Sources

Tea: Tea has been found to have higher mean concentrations of total rare earth elements compared to many other food categories, reflecting the plant's ability to absorb elements from soil.
Thallus: Certain fungal or lichen-based products have been shown to contain low levels of rare earth elements.

Yttrium Levels in Foods: A Comparison

To put the concentration of yttrium in food into perspective, it's useful to compare its levels in different sources. It's clear from research that yttrium content is consistently low across the board, with potential variations based on environmental factors.


Food Category	Typical Total REE Levels (China, mean)	Yttrium Contribution	Notes
Tea	1.41 mg/kg	Part of the highest REE exposure, but still very low.	The highest total REE content recorded in the study.
Thallus	1.14 mg/kg	Significant contributor to total REE.	Edible fungi or algae may have higher trace element accumulation.
Aquatic Products	0.28 mg/kg	Yttrium is one of the more abundant REEs found.	Includes items like shrimp and mussels, which bioaccumulate.
Eggs	0.29 mg/kg	Contributes to the total REE level.	Contains low but measurable amounts.
Cabbage	20-100 ppm (fresh weight)	Reportedly higher in plants, but still a trace amount.	Environmental conditions and soil dictate absorption.
Seeds of woody plants	700 ppm	The highest plant concentration noted, but not a typical food source.	Reflects the plant's natural accumulation processes.
Meat	0.07 mg/kg	Negligible contribution to the total REE level.	Levels are generally very low in muscle tissue.

Health Context and Safety

While yttrium has no known biological role in humans, the extremely low levels found in food do not pose a dietary health risk. Exposure to yttrium compounds is mainly an occupational hazard for those in industrial settings, where inhalation of yttrium dust and fumes can cause lung irritation and scarring (pneumoconiosis). Concerns over rare earth elements relate more to industrial waste management and environmental accumulation rather than regular food consumption. A detailed study on rare earth elements confirmed that dietary exposure in the general population was very low and did not exceed safe intake levels.

For more information on the industrial and medical applications of yttrium, a comprehensive resource is the periodic table and element information provided by organizations like the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Conclusion

Yttrium is a rare earth element that is present in trace amounts in many natural systems, including our food supply. While some edible plants like cabbage and seeds of woody plants, as well as certain seafood and tea, have been identified as containing slightly higher concentrations, the overall levels are miniscule and considered safe for regular dietary consumption. It is not an essential nutrient, and the health concerns associated with yttrium exposure are primarily limited to industrial environments involving inhalation of the element's dust. For the average person, yttrium in food is not a nutritional consideration or health risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, yttrium has no known biological role or nutritional function in the human body. It is not considered an essential nutrient like vitamins or other trace minerals.

While all levels are low, certain edible plants, especially cabbage, have been noted to have higher concentrations than most other plants. Seeds of woody plants have shown very high levels, but are not a common part of the human diet.

Consuming the minuscule, trace amounts of yttrium found in food is not considered harmful. Health risks, such as lung damage, are primarily linked to industrial-level inhalation of yttrium dust over long periods.

Yttrium is often classified as a rare earth element and a heavy transition metal. However, its properties are distinct from many toxic heavy metals, and its dietary absorption is very low.

Yttrium is naturally present in soil and is absorbed by plants during growth. Animals then absorb it by consuming plants and water. The amount is determined by the local environment and the species.

The use of rare earth element fertilizers, particularly in China, has been studied. Research suggests that while plants can accumulate rare earth elements, accumulation in the edible parts is often minimal, posing a low risk to consumers.

No, you should not be concerned. The levels of yttrium in food are extremely low, and extensive dietary exposure assessments have confirmed that there is no health risk for the general population.