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Brazil Nut Benefits in 30 Seconds
- Brazil nuts are the absolute best food source of selenium, an integral mineral for promoting optimal health.
- Brazil nuts boast myriad benefits, as they have been shown to fight inflammation, combat cancer cells, boost cognitive function, regulate mood, elevate heart health, and help to regulate hormones.
- While Brazil nuts pack quite a nutritional punch, it’s important not to overdo it, as overloading your body with too much selenium can be potentially harmful.
What are Brazil nuts?
The Brazil nut, which is actually a seed in botanical classification, is native to South America. The trees that produce Brazil nuts are one of the largest in the Amazon rainforest, can reach up to 160 feet in height with a diameter of up to 6 feet. It takes approximately 14 months for the fruit, which is a thick, woody pod the size of a man’s hand, to fully mature. Once matured, these pods hold between 8 to 24 triangular seeds arranged in sections that resemble an orange configuration. Interestingly, the Brazil nut trees are not grown on plantations but instead grow and thrive in tropical forests. The nuts are harvested during the rainy season between November and March.
Brazil Nuts nutrition & health benefits
Brazil nuts are packed with nutrients. They are a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, niacin, folate, and pantothenic acid. A one-cup serving of whole nuts provides 38% of the daily value (DV) of vitamin E and 55% DV of Thiamin. That same size serving provides 18% DV iron, 21% DV calcium, 25% DV potassium, 36% DV zinc and 81% DV manganese. If that weren’t enough, the same serving provides 125% DV magnesium, 96% DV phosphorus, 116% DV of copper, and an amazing 3643% DV selenium. You can get almost half of the daily recommended fiber and 38% DV protein when you enjoy a cup of Brazil nuts for a snack.
How much selenium is in Brazil Nuts?
Brazilian nuts are the richest food source of selenium. One medium-size nut provides more than the recommended dietary allowance of selenium, an essential nutrient your body cannot produce. Staying healthy requires that your immune system functions at its optimum level and selenium helps fight free radicals and boosts the immune system. Selenium is also attributed to helping to prevent bone, prostate, colorectal, and breast cancer. A deficiency of selenium can lead to an increased risk of developing bladder, lung, stomach, esophagus, and liver cancer. Adults with digestive health issues such as Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, or those who are experiencing serious inflammation and chronic infection issues are likely to be deficient in selenium. An adequate intake of selenium is also essential for your thyroid to function properly, which is necessary for optimal health. Brazil nuts can help you easily ensure adequate intake of this vitally important nutrient.
Are Brazil Nuts good for heart health?
Brazil nuts are an excellent source of copper, an antioxidant nutrient that plays a crucial role in maintaining heart health. Brazilian nuts also contain monounsaturated fatty acids, specifically oleic acid, and palmitoleic acids, which are associated with improving overall heart health. In addition, studies show that due to their high content of selenium, Brazil nuts can help prevent blood clots, protect from various heart diseases and help prevent heart attacks, atherosclerosis and stroke.
There is a definite connection between heart health and cholesterol levels, and as mentioned, Brazil nuts have an amazingly high content of Omega-3 fatty acids as well. Omega-3 fatty acids help eliminate dangerous omega-6 fatty acids from the cardiovascular system, thus lowering cholesterol. High cholesterol can lead to a myriad of health problems, especially heart-related issues. Eaten in moderation, Brazil nuts can be a vital part of a cholesterol-lowering diet.
Do Brazil nuts increase testosterone?
Yes, Brazil nuts can increase and preserve testosterone in a variety of ways. The selenium in Brazil nuts can boost testosterone levels, as can the high percentage of magnesium found in this nut. Natural cholesterol also plays a vital role in testosterone production, and Brazil nuts are an excellent source of bio-active natural cholesterol. These nuts are also a good source of antioxidants that are attributed to protecting testosterone molecules from oxidation. They are also an excellent source of Arginine, a substance that helps veins dilate and relax, thereby allowing blood to flow more freely. Due to the aforementioned specific benefits, these nuts have for men’s health, finding a source for Brazil nuts for sale that allows you to purchase in bulk is a budget-friendly way to improve your overall health, including men’s testosterone levels.
Can Brazilian nuts help you lose weight?
There are numerous reasons for including Brazil nuts in your weight loss plan. Their high fiber content can promote satiety and reduce your desire to eat more than you should and help you hold off from frequently reaching unhealthy snacks throughout the day. Eating these nuts in moderation will help your body produce more thyroid hormones that will keep your fat-burning metabolism high. Another weight management benefit of Brazil nuts is that they are rich in an amino acid known as arginine, which can help increase the expenditure of energy and promote fat loss.
What are the other health benefits of Brazil nuts?
In addition to promoting heart health, Brazil nuts provide a startlingly wide variety of health benefits. Brazil nuts play a significant role in promoting healthy skin. Their selenium content can increase the elasticity of the skin which will combat premature aging and wrinkles. Selenium can also help reduce the risk of skin cancer. The zinc content of Brazil nuts can help protect against the development of acne or reduce its severity. The fiber content of these nuts makes them beneficial to the digestive system. Eating these nuts can help prevent gastric ulcers, cramps, constipation, and bloating. The benefits gained from getting enough fiber in your diet can also help prevent more serious health issues such as colon cancer. Brazil nuts are also a good source of protein, which is necessary for muscle and cellular growth, for the healing of wounds, and provides you with energy.
Can eating too many Brazil Nuts be harmful or even toxic?
Despite having all of these fantastic benefits, Brazil nuts are a bit of a double-edged sword. You can technically overdose on Brazil nuts due to the very high selenium content. Selenium toxicity symptoms may include diarrhea, metallic mouth taste, nausea, brittle nails, hair loss, coughing, and more.
This type of selenium toxicity can occur if you significantly overeat Brazil nuts in one sitting or if you repeatedly eat more than the daily suggested amount of one to six nuts a day total.
And while Brazil nuts are still technically seeds, they may be harmful to people with other nut allergies, such as pistachios and cashews.
General questions about Brazilian Nuts
How should you store brazil nuts?
Proper storage of Brazil nuts is critical, as they can spoil quickly and grow mold. Make sure you’re storing Brazil nuts in airtight containers, and be sure to only buy Brazil nuts that are stored as such. Brazil nuts should be whole and brown, and heavy in hand, so avoid any that are shriveled or in pieces, as these could already be spoiled or moldy.
Also, make sure you’re placing your airtight container of Brazil nuts in a cool, dark, dry place without any exposure to humidity or sunlight. Ideally, you should store your Brazil nuts in a refrigerator, where they will last for a few months.
How many Brazil Nuts are in a pound?
The exact number of Brazil nuts in a pound will vary depending on each nut’s size and weight, but on average, one pound of Brazil nuts will include roughly 128 nuts.
Why are Brazil nuts so expensive?
The cost of Brazil nuts comes down to how they grow and how difficult they are to harvest. Brazil nuts are not farmed, and they are often found in remote locations. The trees themselves require at least 12 years of growth before they start to yield any nuts. Shockingly, Brazil has become a net importer of Brazil nuts, which underscores the scarcity and difficulty of cultivating these nuts.
What is another name for Brazil nuts?
Brazil nuts are categorized as “Bertholletia excelsa” and are also called Pará nuts. In Cuba, the nuts are called “coquito de Santiago” (“St. James Coconut” translated to English).
Brazil nut culinary questions
What do Brazil nuts taste like?
Brazil nuts taste buttery and have a smooth texture, and can best be compared to a macadamia nut’s taste and feel. They can be eaten alone as a snack, chopped and used in baked goods, or used to add a nice crunch to a salad.
How many Brazil nuts are safe to eat a day?
Brazil nuts are incredibly nutritious for you, but more is not necessarily better in all cases. In fact, due to the extremely high selenium content, you should limit yourself to only a few Brazil nuts a day to avoid any potential adverse effects. Also, while nutritious, Brazil nuts are very calorically dense.
If you have any tree nut allergies, you should avoid Brazil nuts, as they can cause allergic reactions.
How do you eat Brazil nuts?
Brazil nuts are pretty versatile and can be eaten in a few different ways. They can be eaten raw, blanched, or roasted for savory flavor, or they can even be sweetened and crushed to add a crunchy topping for dessert. Here are a few of the many practical applications of Brazil nuts.
- Roast them and eat them on their own or mixed with other nuts.
- Chop them and sprinkle them on a salad.
- Use them in place of pine nuts in a pesto sauce.
- Grind them up into a flour and mix them into a batter.
- Crush them and use them for raw vegan energy balls.
- Chop them roughly and add them to cookie dough to give your cookies a nice texture.
- Add them to rice or veggie dishes such as stir-fries.
What can you do with Brazil nuts?
As mentioned above, there is a lot you can do with Brazil nuts. They can be incorporated into a lot of different recipes. But did you know you can even use them to make nutritious nut milk? Here’s a quick and easy recipe to make Brazil nut milk.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Brazil nuts
- 4 cups water
- 1 vanilla bean pod
- 2–3 pitted, raw Medjool dates or ½ tablespoon maple syrup or date syrup for sweetener (optional)
- 2–3 tablespoons of cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
- First, soak the Brazil nuts and the vanilla bean in water for at least 8 hours (or overnight).
- Drain the nuts, discard the Brazil nuts and vanilla, and rinse them off well.
- Put Brazil nuts, vanilla, and 4 cups of filtered water into a blender and process until smooth. Add optional ingredients at this time as well (before blending).
- Pour the mixture into a nut milk bag or fine strainer and strain into a glass jar.
- Keep airtight and stored in the refrigerator. Milk will last several days.
