While nuts and seeds in general are a good addition to someone’s diet, Brazil nuts have a special status. Indeed, they are one of the highest sources of selenium, an important mineral which often lacks in a normal Western diet.
It is critical that we ensure a proper intake of selenium through Brazil nuts for several reasons.
First, it is a known fact that vitamins and minerals from whole foods are more potent and more easily absorbed that the same nutrients obtained through a pill. In fact, compared to sodium selenite, typically used in anti-cancer studies instead of selenium, researchers at the Department of Surgical Oncology at a New York university reported that
“Brazil nut was found to be just as powerful as sodium selenite, if not more so, at similar levels of dietary selenium intake.”
Also, Brazil nuts are surprisingly high in selenium, to the point that only a couple can be enough for you to ingest enough of it. Brazil nuts are also rich in many other nutrients, and will often fill in the gaps of a sometimes unbalanced diet. It is doubtful that you will be able to limit yourself to just a few however, as they are delicious and very versatile!
But, what exactly happens in the case of a selenium deficiency? According to Professor Christine Thomson, of the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Otago in New Zealand,
“There is mounting evidence that a marginal selenium status can lead to an increased risk for a range of conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.”
According to the governmental National Institutes of Health:
“selenium deficiency may contribute to development of a form of heart disease, hypothyroidism, and. There is also evidence that selenium deficiency does not usually cause illness by itself. Rather, it can make the body more susceptible to illnesses caused by other nutritional, biochemical or infectious stresses.”
Brazil nuts are also thought to boost fertility. According to Gillian McKeith,
“selenium is vital for fertility in men and women and is also needed for thyroid function. It is an important detoxifier, remover of heavy metals and a powerful antioxidant, thus has protective effects against aging and disease.”
And what do raw food personalities have to say about Brazil nuts? Tonya Kay loves to eat Brazil nuts because of “their outrageous selenium content”, and, for the same reason, Joanna Steven makes it a point to include weekly Brazil nut milk smoothies in her menu plans. Kate Magic mentioned in Shazzie’s book “Evie’s Kitchen” that in her household, they do not eat a lot of nuts except for almonds (for their calcium) and Brazil nuts (for their selenium). You can even use them in chocolates. When Kate Magic started making her own cacao delights, she “found Brazil nuts worked the best because they were the creamiest, plus they’re very nutritious.”
It is important to note that Brazil nuts cannot be farmed, and have to be grown wild in healthy rainforest ecosystem. According to the Amazon Conservation Association, caring for Brazil nut plantations “provides more than half the yearly income for thousands of families in the Amazon and protects several million acres of forest from deforestation.”
Look for stores that only carry Brazil nuts that are certified raw, organic and fair trade, so you are only getting top quality, ethically harvested nuts. Castañales (Brazil nut harvesting concessions) offer one the few positive bottom-line economic examples where the density of a renewable natural resource other than timber is sufficient to justify the existence of large forested areas against unsustainable uses such as cattle ranching. Brazil nuts, which are opened up by harvesters within the primary forest, represent more than half the yearly income for thousands of families in the region, and so far have politically justified the protection of these natural areas. People can actually make a living harvesting these nuts from wild forests – a strong economic reason that keeps the trees standing.
If you’d like a great source of fresh Brazil nuts, contact me at Sirova foods!
Thanks!!
Joanna Steven