Superfoods: Brazil nut

Superfoods would be interesting topic. I know many people hate the word "superfood", but its the best way to describe these. This time I want to talk about Brazil nut, also known as Para nut.

Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) is a South American tree in the family of Lecythidaceae. The tree and nut are both called Brazil nut (weird isn't it?). Its relatives are blueberries, cranberries and gooseberries. It grows all over the South America. The tree is rather large, can reach 50 m high and trunk can be 1-2 m in diameter.

Interesting fact: In Brazil, its illegal to cut down Brazil nut tree, that is the reason its often found from everywhere, in the wild and people's backyards. The nuts are very heavy and there is even one death case where person died when nut fell on his head.

Now the interesting parts: The nut is really "superfood". Its very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. Its good source of Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper. But its most important nutrient in Selenium, in fact its the best Selenium source known to man. In fact none of the other foods reach even near to its Selenium content. The Selenium content makes this "superfood", but there is also negative side (as always). Because the Selenium content is so high (100 grams of Brazil Nuts contain 3485% (1917 µg) of recommended daily intake of Selenium), there is risk of Selenium poisoning. Even 1 nut per day is twice the recommended daily intake. But its perfectly safe to eat around 4 per day, but any more than that could be harmful.

And what does Selenium do? Its very important nutrient for our health. It acts as antioxidant, preventing the damages of free radicals. It also boosts immune system, helps to reduce the risk of heart disease and prevents different cancers. Its also very important for thyroid gland. Another interesting thing is that Selenium has high binding affinity towards Mercury, which basically means Selenium tries to bind with Mercury, forming new substance. This Bis(methylmercuric) selenide isn't as harmful as Mercury or Methylmercury. It has been suggested that eating fish isn't harmful even though it contains Methylmercury, as they contain Selenium, which cancels the harmful effects. There is definitely connection between Mercury and Selenium, but its still mystery how it affects. It may mobilize the Mercury and even chelate it.

There is some side effects of eating Brazil nuts too: Overdose of Selenium can lead to bad breath, fever, nausea, and liver, kidney and heart problems. It could even lead to death if taken too much. It can cause stomach problems and vomiting too. It has also been associated with increased risk of skin cancers. Brazil Nuts can contain aflatoxins which are carcinogenic, so EU has placed strict restrictions for imports. They also can contain thousands of times more Radium than other foods because the deep roots of tree, but still in safe levels.

So in conclusion, 2-4 Brazil Nuts in a day is good for your health. Eating too many can be dangerous because of the Selenium overdose. Production is mostly organic so you don't have to fear nasty poisons. They fight against the harmful effects of Mercury.

en.wikipedia.org...
www.nutrition-and-you.com...
www.seedguides.info...
www.webmd.com...
www.whfoods.com...
www.naturalnews.com...
www.evenbetterhealth.com...

The Old ones have an interesting name for Brazil Nuts and have always talked about how good and healthy they are!!

My grandma buy these nuts all the time and bring them over, and a holistic doctor i was talking to about these wound infections i had included these nuts in my diet so i can get my blood to an alkalinic state.

I don't care for the taste of this nut at all, and it's HUGE, but i know it's very good for the body, so i eat em up.

reply to post by AbleEndangered


Funny you say that about the OLD ones because I never knew what these nuts truly were called until a few years ago.

I wish mulberries were a super food. I have about 20 of those. Anyway, the Brazil nuts are in full force in the markets because of the upcoming holidays. They are kind of a bitch to crack into and them cheap Dollar Store nut crackers will not work on these. Better have some hand muscles!

Did you know that Brazil nuts are so naturally radioactive that they will set off the detectors at nuclear power plants?

It's true.

ketsuko
Did you know that Brazil nuts are so naturally radioactive that they will set off the detectors at nuclear power plants?

It's true.

Yep, the tree has so deep roots that it draws the radium from the ground. Its believed they are the most radioactive foods ever. And its 100% natural radiation, its not from fallout.

I forgot to say that Brazil Nuts are not actually nuts, they are seeds. Very large seeds! And the pods where they grow are massive, it weights about 2 kg, and the shell is very hard. No wonder they could be deadly for people who drive next to tree.

Its good thing Brazil Nut production comes mainly from wild, not from plantations. This model makes income from tropical forest without destroying it.

I love Brazilian nuts. I knew they were really healthy but didn't realize I was eating way too much. Going to cut back to 2-4 a day. Thanks for the post.