Although beneficial in small amounts, Brazil nuts could cause selenium toxicity if a person regularly ingests them in large quantities. So how many nuts are too many? According to Healthline, although selenium in small amounts is beneficial, too much selenium can become toxic and begin to have adverse effects on the human body. While a little can help a lot when it comes to the Brazil nuts and the selenium they contain, consuming too many Brazil nuts at once can become dangerous and harmful to your health. In the case of Brazil nuts and their selenium content, it is recommended that adults consume no more than 5 nuts at a time, as this will bring them to the maximum amount of selenium they should consume.
Almonds, cashews, peanuts, and walnuts are frequent additions to snack, salad, and dessert mixes; Brazil nuts rarely receive the same appreciation, but they should. However, due to gaps in the test body, a safety factor applies, resulting in an upper limit of 400 µg (equivalent to 21 g or approximately 7 Brazil nuts). The Journal of Analytical Toxicology conducted a study to evaluate the safety of consumption of Brazil nuts in relation to natural barium and radium concentrations in nuts in several Brazilian regions. As many of you know, I have Hashimotos, an autoimmune thyroid disease and I eat a Brazil nut every day to help me with that.
Therefore, enjoying a few Brazil nuts each day is safe and unlikely to cause significant adverse effects, just don't eat excessive amounts at once. Not only are they delicious and satiating, but Brazil nuts also have a long list of health benefits. In recent years, large and bulky Brazil nuts have been slowly but surely making their way into the American palette. A serving of six Brazil nuts contains 185 calories and 4 grams of protein and only 3.5 grams, or 1 percent, of your daily carbohydrate value.
Brazil nuts, for example, contain very high amounts of selenium (68—91 mcg per nut) and can cause you to exceed the upper limit if you eat too much. Brazil nuts are a good source of dietary fiber, offering 8 percent DV, to help keep the digestive system healthy and help lower cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease. In addition to B vitamins, Brazil nuts contain 8 percent of their DV for vitamin E, an important antioxidant to help fight disease. Brazil nuts are actually very healthy for you and introduce a lot of essential nutrients into your body.
I think I'm going to have to give up Brazil nuts because I can't eat just ONE or a few of them, I tend to go to extremes (errr, it's not that I'm fat, I have a little less weight). In reality, unfortunately, there is a real reason not to go crazy with Brazil nuts and that is the amount of cancer-causing aflatoxins they contain. Brazil nuts have a high amount of selenium (68-91 mcg per nut), and having too many Brazil nuts can cause the body's selenium to rise above the acceptable limit.