Immune & Recovery
Brazil Nuts
A single nut from this tree can cover your full daily selenium needs, making it one of the most concentrated food sources of the mineral.
Immunity
Hormone Balance
Recovery
Serving
1 nut (5g)
Calories Per Serving
33
Key nutrients
Selenium, magnesium, healthy fats
Nutrient density
124
Why it’s worth eating
Brazil nuts are an excellent source of selenium, a powerful antioxidant mineral. They support thyroid and immune health. Snack on two or three nuts daily for benefits.
What you may notice
Energy and mood
Hormone-related comfort
Markers worth tracking
Serum selenium
TSH and thyroid panel
How to eat it
Stick to 1-2 nuts a day, selenium toxicity from overconsumption is a real risk specifically with Brazil nuts, unlike almost any other whole food.
Pairs well with
Foods with vitamin E, selenium and vitamin E work together in some of the body's antioxidant pathways
Eaten with meals, the fat helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins from other foods on the plate
Storage
Store in an airtight container; refrigerate or freeze to slow the fats from going rancid.
The numbers, per 1 nut (5g)
0%
Vitamin K
0%
Vitamin A
0%
Vitamin C
1%
Calcium
1%
Iron
4%
Magnesium
1%
Potassium
0%
Vitamin B12
0%
Vitamin D
Fiber
0.4g
Nuts, brazil nuts, dried (FDC 170569)
Evidence
B
An exceptionally concentrated selenium source with a genuinely narrow safe intake window. Seed-to-seed variation is large.
Study dose vs. serving
One nut contains roughly 68-91 ug selenium against an RDA of 55 ug. About 4-5 nuts can approach or exceed the EFSA upper limit. Literature commonly cites 1-2 nuts/day as the safe habitual intake.
EFSA 2023 tolerable upper limit 255 ug/day selenium (US UL 400 ug/day). Seed-to-seed variation up to 8-fold within a batch (PMC6724122).
Use caution if
You take selenium supplements separately, very easy to exceed safe upper limits when stacking with Brazil nuts
You have a tree nut allergy, avoid entirely
Details
Type
Protein
Season
Imported, pantry, year-round
Forms
Raw, roasted
Price
Mid
Bioactive
Selenium as selenomethionine (about 85% bioaccessible)
Heat stable
Yes - selenium is heat-stable
Watch
SELENIUM OVEREXPOSURE is the primary risk. Also accumulates radium and barium, though in-vitro bioaccessibility of those is low (about 2%).
Reliability
4 / 5
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