Did you know just having one or two Brazil nuts a day can give you the daily dose of selenium you need? Yep! A single Brazil nut generally contains 68 to 96 micrograms (mcg) of selenium, and the daily recommended adult allowance is 55 mcg. Selenium is a powerful mineral and antioxidant that plays a critical role in our metabolism and thyroid functioning and helps protect the body from damage caused by oxidative stress. Autoimmune thyroid conditions like Hashimotos are often associated with selenium deficiency and when selenium serum levels are low, risk increases for hypothyroidism.
Here’s a geeky fact: the amount of selenium in your Brazil nuts or other plant-based foods can be high or low depending on how much is in the soil where it’s grown! A research study showed that the selenium concentration in the soil was influenced by the pH of the soil. While a single Brazil nut from the Amazonas State region provided up to 288% of the recommended intake, in the Mato Grasso State region they provided only 11%.
In addition to selenium, brazil nuts also contain copper, phosphorous, manganese, zinc, magnesium, vitamin E and more.
Reference:
Junior, E. S., Wadt, L., Silva, K., Lima, R., Batista, K., Guedes, M., . . . Guilherme, L. (2017). Natural variation of selenium in Brazil nuts and soils from the Amazon region. Chemosphere, 188, 650-658. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.08.158
Silva, S., & Tassara, H. (1998). Fruit in Brazil. São Paulo, SP: Empresa das Artes.