Benefits of eating brazil nuts
Brazil nuts are associated with a wide range of health benefits, including:
- Cognitive support. Brazil nuts are rich in antioxidants which science suggests are great for the brain.
- Lower cholesterol. Eating brazil nuts can reduce levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol that clogs arteries. Brazil nuts are such masters at lowering cholesterol, lipids in the blood (which indicate cholesterol levels) may be lower immediately after eating one portion!3
- Thyroid health. Brazil nuts are jam-packed full of selenium, a mineral that’s strongly correlated with supporting normal thyroid function. For those who have an inactive thyroid, emerging evidence suggests that consuming selenium can improve thyroid function, and, by doing so, enhance mood and immune protection.4,5,6,7
- Mood support. Evidence suggests that Brazil nut consumption can support your mood. A scientific study showed that when participants with anxiety and depression took 100mcg of selenium a day (the equivalent of eating 1 to 2 Brazil nuts) for 5 weeks, their symptoms alleviated.8
Drawbacks of eating brazil nuts
People with a nut allergy should evidently avoid Brazil nuts, in case they experience an inverse reaction or anaphylactic shock.
Sources
1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29017372/
2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26846140/
3 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnme/2013/653185/
4 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10963212/
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26545554
6 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ije/2014/904573/
7 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27702392/
8 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1873372/