Brazil Nuts - Nutritional Facts, Health Benefits, Uses and Side Effects

Health Benefits of Brazil Nuts

What are the Brazil Nuts?

The Lecythidaceae tree from South America known as the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) also goes by the same name as its edible seeds, which are gathered for commercial purposes. The Amazon rainforest contains one of the biggest and oldest trees in the world. A total weight of up to 2 kg may be carried by the fruit and its nutshell, which houses the edible Brazil nut.

Brazil nuts, which have an odd appearance, are produced by the Bertholletia excelsa tree, which may be found in the Amazon rainforest. The trees produce rather large, coconut-like fruits with a strong shell that contain 10 to 24 edible seeds. Brazil nuts are famous as a food for their wide range of micronutrient content, particularly their high selenium level. For use in heavy construction, flooring, and carpentry, the wood of the Brazil nut tree is highly regarded.

The healthiest method of consuming Brazil nuts is raw. One of the many health advantages of Brazil nuts, which are a tasty and nutritious treat, is that they support a strong immune system. Brazil nuts' high selenium level has been linked to a number of health benefits, including preventing cancer, preserving thyroid function, and warding off heart disease. To obtain the required daily intake of selenium, only 1 or 2 Brazil nuts must be consumed daily.

In addition to having a healthy amount of selenium, Brazil nuts also have calcium, magnesium, and potassium in each nut, which contributes to their well-documented health advantages. Brazil nuts are a significant source of beneficial, antioxidant-rich fatty acids. So, starting each day with one or two Brazil nuts is a terrific approach to improve your overall health.

Nutritional Facts and Content of Brazil Nuts:

Brazilian nuts contain 3% water, 14% protein, 12% carbs, and 66% lipids. 16 percent of the fat is saturated, 24 percent is monounsaturated, and 24 percent is polyunsaturated. Brazil nuts have 659 calories per 100 grammes and are a good source of dietary fiber, thiamin, vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and zinc. There are moderate levels of calcium, iron, and potassium.

Brazil Nuts Have Following Nutritional value per 100 gms:

Energy: 656 kcal

Carbohydrates: Starch: 0.25 gm; Sugars: 2.33 gm; Dietary fiber: 7.5 gm

Fat: Saturated: 15.137 gm; Monounsaturated: 24.548 gm: Polyunsaturated: 20.577 gm

Protein: Tryptophan: 0.141 g; Threonine: 0.362 g; Isoleucine: 0.516 g; Leucine: 1.155 g; Lysine: 0.492 g; Methionine  1.008 g

Phenylalanine: 0.630 g; Tyrosine: 0.420 g; Valine: 0.756 g;  Arginine: 2.148 g; Histidine: 0.386 g

Alanine: 0.577 g;  Aspartic acid: 1.346 g; Glutamic acid: 3.147 g; Glycine: 0.718 g; Proline: 0.657 g; Serine: 0.683 g

Vitamins: Thiamine (B1): 0.617 mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0.035 mg; Niacin (B3): 0.295 mg; Vitamin B6: 0.101 mg; Folate (B9): 22 μg, Vitamin C: 0.7 mg; Vitamin E: 5.73 mg;

Minerals: Calcium: 160 mg; Iron: 2.43 mg; Magnesium: 376 mg; Manganese: 1.2 mg; Phosphorus: 725 mg; Potassium: 659 mg, Sodium: 3 mg; Zinc: 4.06 mg;

Water: 3.48 g; Selenium: 1917 μg; Beta-Sitosterol: 64 mg

Health Benefits of Brazil Nuts:

1. Brazil Nuts Might Improve Brain Health: Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's are associated with low selenium levels. Your brain health may be improved by the antioxidants in Brazil nuts, especially selenium. Additionally, some studies suggest that increasing your selenium consumption may assist to elevate your mood.

2. Brazil Nuts Promotes Thyroid Health: The thyroid is a little gland in your throat that resembles a butterfly. It secretes a number of hormones that are vital for regulating body temperature, metabolism, and growth. The highest quantity of selenium is found in thyroid tissue, which also contains proteins that guard your thyroid against injury and the thyroid hormone T3.

Low selenium levels can cause cellular damage, decreased thyroid activity, and autoimmune diseases like Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Additionally, it might make thyroid cancer more likely. According to a big study conducted in China, thyroid disorders such hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, and enlarged thyroid were far more common in those with low selenium levels than in those with normal levels. This emphasizes how critical it is to consume enough selenium. To maintain healthy thyroid function, just one Brazil nut should be consumed each day.

3. Brazil Nuts Could Help with Inflammation Management: Brazil nuts are beneficial for healing inflammation in the body, which is another health issue that they can help with. According to medical professionals, persistent inflammation is linked to practically all chronic diseases. This includes diabetes, depression, heart disease, and cancer. Your chance of developing certain chronic medical disorders can be decreased by controlling inflammation.

According to a study on the health advantages of eating Brazil nuts, even a single serving of these delicious nuts can lower inflammatory indicators. The body's inflammation could be reduced by the consumption of 4 to 10 Brazil nuts. Researchers came to the conclusion that consuming a few Brazil nuts every day would be able to lessen chronic inflammation.

4. Brazilian Nuts Can Help with Depression or Anxiety: One of the numerous advantages of Brazil nuts is that they can assist in lowering depressive or anxious feelings. Studying how selenium supplementation affected people's moods, researchers discovered that consuming more selenium improved one's mood.

The quantity of selenium that one Brazil nut has in it is the amount that people eat every day. There was a direct correlation between low selenium levels and fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Participants saw improvements in mood as selenium levels rose. Please read this article to discover how to handle stress and anxiety healthily if you are experiencing emotional pressure or are battling anxiety.

5. You Can Reduce Your Body Weight with Brazil Nuts: Despite having a high-calorie count, Brazil nuts can aid in weight loss if you eat a couple of them every day. Nuts with good fats, such as Brazil nuts, have been shown by nutritionists to boost metabolism and aid in weight loss. The impact of nuts on weight loss has been the subject of some fascinating research.

For instance, consuming a few Brazil nuts in the morning can improve satiety and decrease snacking. Unsaturated fat consumption has also been connected to higher resting metabolic rates. If you want to lose weight quickly, try eating a few Brazil nuts every morning, doing more exercise, and boosting your fiber intake to speed up your metabolism.

6. Brazilian Nuts May Raise Male Testosterone Levels: Brazil nuts can boost testosterone levels and enhance the quality of semen, making them good for men. Male fertility may be impacted by low testosterone, which has been linked to low selenium levels in men. The testicles have a high selenium content, according to researchers. Therefore, men's selenium levels have a big impact on the quality of their sperm. One study found that selenium supplementation is frequently advised to address issues with male infertility.

7. Brazil Nuts Display Antioxidant Property: The antioxidant system in the body may be strengthened and oxidative stress prevented by the selenium in Brazil nuts. Selenium is converted by the liver into selenoprotein P, a kind of protein that efficiently eliminates excess free radicals. Oxidative stress is brought on by free radicals, which have also been linked in research to a variety of chronic illnesses, including cancer.
Uses of Brazil Nuts:

Brazil nuts are commonly sold at grocery stores, both shelled and unshelled. For up to a month, keep them in a cool, dry location. Put them in a resealable bag or container and store them in the freezer or refrigerator to preserve them for a longer period of time.

Brazil nuts provide a nutritious, energizing snack whether they are eaten alone or alongside other nuts. They are great just as they are, with a smooth texture and delicate flavor. They can also be prepared in a number of various ways, including:
 
  • They can be roasted alone or with other nuts.
  • Adding them as raw slivers to a salad.
  • making a pesto with them rather of pine nuts.
  • They were crushed and added to the cake batter.
  • producing vegan and raw energy balls.
  • They are chopped up coarsely and added to the cookie batter.
  • To give rice or vegetable dishes more crunch, add them.
Side Effects of Brazil Nuts:

There are very few negative consequences from eating a few Brazil nuts each day or a lot of them all at once. However, selenium poisoning and nut allergic reactions are two of the purported risks of Brazil Nuts.

1. Allergy Due to Brazil Nuts:

Although technically a seed, Brazil nuts can also trigger nut allergy symptoms because they come from the Brazil nut tree. Brazil nuts have been shown to have proteins that may cause allergic reactions, according to a study on the subject. Itching, hives, wheezing, swelling, diarrhea, and even anaphylactic shock have all been reported as Brazil nut adverse effects in certain individuals. Avoiding Brazil nuts is advised if you have a tree nut allergy.

2.Toxicity Caused by Selenium:

You could develop selenium poisoning if you consume an excessive amount of Brazil nuts. Although it is extremely uncommon, selenium toxicity, also known as selenosis, can be brought on by Brazil nuts. Limit your daily consumption of Brazil nuts to 2 or 3 if you want to get their many health advantages.


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