Did you know that Australian and New Zealand soils lack selenium? In Australia and New Zealand, the main dietary sources are seafood, poultry and eggs, with very little being available in plant foods. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of selenium for an adult woman is around 60 µg/day, but a lot of us do not get this from our diet.
Brazil nuts have a very high amount of selenium – 68 to 91 mcg per nut
They are a fantastic source of selenium and a couple of Brazil nuts each day can help you reach your RDI. Don’t worry about expensive supplements, nature has packaged them up ready for you in each nut!
Selenium is an important component of many of the body’s enzyme systems and play’s an important role in supporting normal antioxidant pathways, cardiac health, immune function, muscle metabolism and male fertility. It supports healthy thyroid functions by facilitating the conversion of thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) to its more active form triiodothyronine (T3).
But don’t go overboard!
Brazil nuts contain very high amounts of selenium and could cause selenium toxicity if very large amounts are consumed regularly. An early indicator of excess intake are a garlic odor in the breath and a metallic taste in the mouth. The most common clinical signs of chronically high selenium intake is hair and nail loss or brittleness. So mix up your nuts and eat a wide variety of foods.
Do you get enough Selenium?
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Thank goodness I love Brazil nuts. I have them mixed with other nuts and I now understand why the proportion is always small. I had no idea about the selenium factor but as I have absorption issues with celiac sprue I try to each as much unprocessed food and take higher doses of what I need. But you make a good point with the caution to not overdo it.
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Thanks Sabiscuit. Enjoy your Brazil nuts!
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