Table of Contents Show
How many Brazil nuts a day should you have is an interesting question for your health and is one of the most talked-about questions. It is a highly nutritious nut with amazing health benefits. Tree nuts are always exciting to eat with amazing flavors of nature.
Nuts are rich sources of nutrients. Brazil nuts are endemic to Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia.
1. How Many Brazil Nuts A Day
These nuts can be called energy boosters1. They can build instant energy in your body naturally. These are packed with high levels of selenium, which is a highly beneficial mineral.
Now there are people always perplexed about how many Brazil nuts a day can help your body. Before getting into this, let’s learn some amazing benefits of Brazil nuts.
2. Benefits Of Brazil Nuts
2.1. Highly Nutritious
Nuts are always safe to have. These are loaded with proteins, calories, fats, carbohydrates, fibers, selenium, and various other nutrients. Brazil nuts are rich sources of good fats that are essential for your body. These are polyunsaturated fats2 (36-37%) that can boost your heart health.
Vitamin E present in Brazil nuts is great for your skin and hair. The hero ingredient in Brazil nuts is selenium3. Various studies show that 1 Brazil nut contains around 96 mcg (average) of selenium, making it more nutritious than other nuts in this perspective.
The study showed that if you take 1-3 Brazil nuts per day, then it can be healthy and safe for your body. But before buying your Brazil nuts, you should not skip checking the selenium content in them.
2.2. A Rich Source Of Selenium
Are you suffering from thyroid? Then you must include this nut in your diet. The mineral selenium found in Brazil nuts can help to control your thyroid as well.
Researchers show that adding selenium to your daily diet can build your immune system. But the most important question that comes to everyone’s mind is how many Brazil nuts a day are good for health.
This question can also come to the mind of people trying Brazil nuts for selenium. Here the upper line for selenium in the case of adults may be 55 mcg. Further, this may vary according to the person’s age. But one should not exceed 400mcg per day. As it may cause various side effects that your body may not be able to tolerate.
2.3. May Prevent Thyroid Disorders
Selenium controls symptoms of thyroid disorders. A study showed that selenium could behave as an antioxidant.
Brazil nuts may aid thyroid function that is disturbed due to some factors. It’s always better to take selenium in whole foods because studies also showed that the minerals might be destroyed during processing.
You can easily get selenium supplements4 on the market. But before adding any supplements, it is always preferable to consult your doctor. There are various order sources for adding selenium to your diet, like fish (fresh and saltwater), tuna, beef, nuts, walnuts, etc. But the best source can always be Brazil nuts. It can also fit vegan diets.
2.4. Beneficial For Your Heart Health
Various studies showed that taking 1-3 Brazil nuts per day can benefit your heart health. Brazil nuts are rich sources of antioxidants and polyunsaturated fatty acids5 that are good fats for your body. The mineral, fibers, and vitamins present in Brazil nuts can lower heart disease risk, as per various scientific reports.
But still, people ponder how many Brazil nuts a day are good for their health It totally depends on the selenium content in those nuts. For example, if you are buying nuts with more selenium content, you should not exceed 400mcg selenium in your diet. Accordingly, plan your diet by adding Brazil nuts.
Brazil nuts are great for balancing cholesterol. They can reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL) in your body and increase good cholesterol (HDL)6 to prevent heart diseases.
But still, researchers are going on to determine the estimated dosages for this. If you are suffering from any disease and pondering how many Brazil nuts a day is good for your body. Then try to consult your doctor before adding it to your diet.
2.5. May Prevent Obesity
Brazil nuts are loaded with polyunsaturated fatty acids that can be effective for obese people. Unlike some other nuts, brazil nuts can help in preventing or combating obesity.
Various research showed that Brazil nuts are great for maintaining cholesterol and maintaining good body weight. All you need is a proper Body mass index (BMI) that may be achieved by including nuts in your diet.
Nuts are always filled with nutrients with good fats; that is what your body needs. But that doesn’t mean you will include excess polyunsaturated fats in your diet which may lead to weight gain as well. The fibers and protein present in these nuts can aid in weight loss.
2.6. May Reduce Inflammation
Brazil nuts are loaded with antioxidants that can prevent your body from various diseases. These are also effective in reducing inflammation. The nutrients present in Brazil nuts can keep your body internally healthy and may be beneficial for activating your cells.
They may also help in repairing damage caused by free radicals. Glutathione peroxidase (enzyme) present in selenium can show anti-inflammatory properties. To claim Brazil nuts’ benefits, one should learn how many Brazil nuts a day are appropriate. Researches show that these enzymes can further combat oxidative stress.
Before adding Brazil nuts to your diet, you must learn how many Brazil nuts a day are good for your health for coping with oxidative stress. There is no standard dosage amount or unit for this. Though reports say that it doesn’t matter if you add 1 Brazil nut or 3 you can definitely benefit from it. Try not to go below the bottom line.
2.7. May Be Good For Your Brain
Nuts are always friendly for your brain. Ellagic acid present in Brazil nuts can be beneficial for your brain. A study also showed that selenium is good for your brain health.
But still, strong proof is needed for this. Both of them may work as antidepressants for your brain. Researchers also showed that selenium is amazing to boost your mood.
Some sayings claim deficiency of selenium can lead to a bad mood. But still, it’s a topic of debate. People still look forward to adding a standard amount to their bodies.
How many Brazil nuts a day is good for your health is still a matter of concern. An excess amount of Brazil nuts may lead to various side effects. To not overload your body with Brazil nuts, you must learn how many Brazil nuts a day is good for your body.
2.8. A Medicine For Dry Skin
Not only Brazil nuts, but all the nuts are also great for your skin. Brazil nuts can be highly effective in treating your dry patches.
Brazil nuts are loaded with vitamin E and fatty acids (omega 3) that may do miracles for dry skin, folks. It can work on minor infections that happened to your skin. There is a study that showed that Brazil nuts might prevent eczema.
2.9. Brazil Nuts For Hair
Nowadays, external factors affect our hair a lot. Brazil nuts can improve your hair growth rate. They can help your hair to grow quickly by adding nutrients like selenium. The new hair that grows on your health needs selenium.
Your body can get selenium from Brazil nuts. But excess intake may also lead to some problems. For this, you must know how many Brazil nuts a day can give you the proper amount of selenium.
Providing an adequate amount of selenium can definitely help hair growth. Besides selenium, vitamin E is an effective nutrient for your hair that can show various hair benefits.
2.10. Boost Up The Immune System
Brazil nuts may help in making your immune system more powerful. Everyone needs a strong immune system to prevent the body from falling ill daily. Brazil nuts can be a great start to your day.
You must be thinking about how many Brazil nuts a day is good for your health. The daily recommended dosage for safe results may vary from 1-3 nuts per day.
3. Side Effects Of Brazil Nuts
No doubt Brazil nuts are very good for your health. But taking it excessively can have bad repercussions. Foods are good if taken under limits. How many Brazil nuts a day can be sorted with the deficiency you are going through? Don’t waste your time thinking about how many Brazil nuts a day is required.
If you are following any specific diet, the amount may vary according to your needs. Studies showed that if you take excess Brazil nuts, then it may cause toxicity. There is a disease called selenosis that can happen due to excess intake of Brazil nuts. This disease may further cause heart failure and may also affect your kidneys.
There is no doubt that excess selenium can lead to breathing problems in various people. This is majorly seen in selenium supplements.
4. Conclusion
Brazil nuts are edible seeds derived from the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa), which is native to the Amazon rainforest in South America, specifically Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. The tree can reach heights of up to 50 meters and produces large capsules that contain up to 20 seeds each.
Brazil nuts are highly nutritious and are particularly known for their high selenium content. Selenium is an essential mineral that plays a crucial role in various bodily functions, including metabolism and antioxidant protection. Eating just a few Brazil nuts per day can provide you with your daily recommended intake of selenium.
Whereas people adding selenium to their traditional diets may not show any side effects. As organic foods are always better and safe to use. There are various people still perplexed about how many Brazil nuts a day are required by your body. Therefore keeping all these into consideration, you may restrict Brazil nuts’ intake to in-between 1 to 3 per day.
FAQ
1. What are Brazil nuts?
A: Brazil nuts are large, nutrient-dense nuts that come from the Brazil nut tree, scientifically known as Bertholletia excelsa. They are native to the Amazon rainforest in South America, particularly Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. Brazil nuts are known for their rich flavor and high nutritional value.
2. What do Brazil nuts look like?
A: Brazil nuts are typically large, triangular-shaped nuts with a hard outer shell. The shell is woody and requires cracking to access the edible part inside. Inside the shell, you’ll find a small, cream-colored kernel, which is the edible portion of the nut.
3. Can Brazil nuts be allergenic?
A: Yes, Brazil nuts can cause allergies in some individuals. Allergies to Brazil nuts are relatively rare but can be severe. People with tree nut allergies are more likely to develop an allergic reaction to Brazil nuts.
Read more
- De, L. C. “Edible seeds and nuts in human diet for immunity development.” Int. J. Recent Sci. Res 6.11 (2020): 38877-38881. ↩︎
- Siri-Tarino, Patty W., et al. “Saturated fats versus polyunsaturated fats versus carbohydrates for cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment.” Annual review of nutrition 35 (2015): 517-543. ↩︎
- Thomson, Christine D., et al. “Brazil nuts: an effective way to improve selenium status.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 87.2 (2008): 379-384. ↩︎
- Schrauzer, Gerhard N. “Nutritional selenium supplements: product types, quality, and safety.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition 20.1 (2001): 1-4. ↩︎
- Yang, Jun. “Brazil nuts and associated health benefits: A review.” LWT-Food science and technology 42.10 (2009): 1573-1580. ↩︎
- Xiang, Angie S., and Bronwyn A. Kingwell. “Rethinking good cholesterol: a clinicians’ guide to understanding HDL.” The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology 7.7 (2019): 575-582. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology