The Brazil nut, also known as Brazil nut, is rich in essential minerals and antioxidants, offering several benefits. However, too much seed consumption 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 daily recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (2010) for selenium, adults should consume 55 mcg (micrograms) selenium per day. However, a single there are about 135 mcg, according to data from the Brazilian Food Composition Table.
“Like various nutrients, excessive consumption can be toxic. In the case of selenium, its 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 teacher at Nutrition course at BRAZ CUBAS University Center.
Brazil nut is a calorie seed
In addition, the Brazil nut has fat in its composition, especially mono and polyunsaturated fats. Although they are beneficial to health, they provide large amounts of calories that can contribute to, according to Boaventura.
A medium portion of Brazil nuts (30 grams or eight units) has 202 calories. A portion of 100 grams, has 674. The data are from the Brazilian Table of Food Composition.
How many nuts 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 pure, with yogurt or fruit, for example. It can be placed in recipes such as cakes and pancakes. It is possible to make a chestnut paste too, ”explains the nutritionist. “The important thing is to pay attention to not exceed the recommended amount per day,” he says.
Benefits of Brazil nuts
Pará chestnut, when consumed in moderate amount and allied to a balanced diet, can bring several health benefits.
The selenium itself, if not excessive, has important functions in the body. “Selenium has an antioxidant function, participates in thyroid hormone metabolism and assists in reducing the risk of noncommunicable chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus, also acts in increasing resistance in the immune system, fertility and reproduction and function Neurological, ”says Boaventura.
In addition, a recent work done at the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), in Minas Gerais, showed that the seed can work against inflammation and in the prevention of obesity. The article was published in September in the scientific journal.
For the study, 56 overweight women were recruited and, who received weight loss treatment, with dietary orientation and caloric restriction. The class was divided into two, and one part consumed the Brazil nut daily and the other did not ingest the oilseed.
After eight weeks, through blood analysis, it was concluded that among those who ate food, the concentrations of inflammatory markers were lower. The group presented lower values for C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor and 1-bute interleucine, for example.
