We just got some organic brazil nuts in at The Pantry. These guys are little nutritional wonders! Just 2-3 nuts can deliver a therapeutic dose of selenium at 200mcg.
What does selenium do? Lots of great stuff. Check out this list, courtesy of Dr. Axe:
- Acts as an antioxidant and defends against oxidative stress
- May help defend against cancer
- Boosts immunity
- Improves blood flow and lowers chance of heart disease
- Regulates thyroid function
- Increases longevity
- Helps reduce asthma symptoms
- Can help boost fertility
Here at StoneTree, we are mainly using brazil nuts to help balance thyroid hormone, and support healthy testosterone levels and sperm quality in our patients of reproductive age.
If 2-3 Brazil nuts are good, then…more must be better, right?
No!
Selenium can cause toxicity over time.
With chronic exposure to too much selenium, you get symptoms like:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Nail discoloration, brittleness, and loss
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Foul breath odor (often described as “garlic breath”)
So keep it to 2-3 nuts/day–you’ll get all the benefits without taking a pill!