Brazil nuts, also known as Brazil nuts, are rich in essential minerals and antioxidants, offering several benefits. However, excessive consumption of the seed can be harmful to health, mainly due to the amount of selenium present in the ingredient, which can be toxic if consumed in large quantities.
According to the Institute of Medicine (2010) daily recommendations for selenium, adults should consume 55 mcg (micrograms) of selenium per day. However, a single Brazil nut contains around 135 mcg, according to data from the Brazilian Food Composition Table.
“Like many nutrients, excessive consumption can be toxic. In the case of selenium, excessive intake can result in adverse health problems, including symptoms such as hair and nail loss, skin lesions, nervous system disorders and even paralysis”, says Renata Boaventura, nutritionist and professor of the nutrition course at Braz Cubas University Center.
Brazil nut is a high-calorie seed
Furthermore, Brazil nuts have fat in their composition, mainly mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Despite being beneficial for health, they provide a large amount of calories which, in large quantities, can contribute to weight gain, according to Boaventura.
An average portion of Brazil nuts (30 grams or eight units) has 202 calories. A 100-gram portion has 674. The data is from the Brazilian Food Composition Table.
How many chestnuts to eat then?
According to Boaventura, to avoid excess selenium, the ideal is not to consume more than three units of Brazil nuts per day.
“It can be consumed plain, with yogurt or fruit, for example. It can be used in recipes such as cakes and pancakes. It is possible to make a chestnut paste too”, explains the nutritionist. “The important thing is to be careful not to exceed the recommended amount per day”, he highlights.
Benefits of Brazil nuts
Brazil nuts, when consumed in moderate quantities and combined with a balanced diet, can bring several health benefits.
Selenium itself, if not consumed in excess, has important functions in the body. “Selenium has an antioxidant function, participates in the metabolism of thyroid hormones and helps reduce the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus, it also acts to increase resistance in the immune system, fertility and reproduction and function neurological”, says Boaventura.
Furthermore, recent work carried out at the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), in Minas Gerais, showed that the seed can act against inflammation and prevent obesity. The article was published in September in the scientific journal The Journal of Nutrition.
For the study, 56 overweight and obese women were recruited, who received weight loss treatment, with dietary guidance and calorie restriction. The group was divided into two, with one part consuming Brazil nuts daily and the other not ingesting the oilseed.
After eight weeks, through blood tests, it was concluded that, among those who ate the food, the concentrations of inflammatory markers were lower. The group had lower values for C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin 1-beta, for example.
Brazil nut: see 5 benefits of the seed and how to consume it
This content was originally published in Is it bad to eat a lot of Brazil nuts? See ideal quantity on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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