Brazil Nuts, the Selenium Savior

Selenium is an important nutrient that you hear very little about but is big in keeping us healthy. Everyone needs this mineral which is a huge anti oxidant that supports the immune system and in studies has been shown to help prevent cancer.

Too little selenium can have some of these common symptoms: Nail Discoloration, Very Fatigued, Shedding a lot of hair, Brain Fog, Thyroid issues, Fertility problems, Worsening Asthma and Frequent sickness. Certainly there can be other causes to these symptoms but it wouldn’t hurt to think about how much selenium is in your diet on a regular basis.

After age 14 and beyond most adults require a minimum of 55 micrograms a day not to exceed 400 micrograms. A steady excess over 400 micrograms each day can cause a condition called selenosis and can present itself with its own set of issues like brittle hair and nails, skin rashes, exhaustion, gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system problems.
 
As you can see here, there is a range that needs to be reached which can be easily acquired.

You may hear of many sources of this nutrient coming from meat and fish. If you’re raw or mostly raw vegan, no worries, the Brazil nut is certainly a savior here. Just one Brazil nut can provide 75 micrograms which will surpass the minimum daily requirement. Eating 3 or 4 a day should quickly bring you to a much healthier level.

Some other sources of selenium from the vegetable world are mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, sunflower, sesame and flax seeds. They may not have as big a punch as brazil nuts but eating a modest amount of these should help reach the goal.
 
I have included a very simple Brazil nut recipe below that uses the daily amount necessary to reach a healthy level.

Simple Recipe for how to get enough Selenium

Daily, Take 3 Brazil Nuts and place them in your left hand, right hand if you’re a lefty.
With the other hand, pick up one at a time and place in mouth.
Chew very well and enjoy the rich nutty flavor and swallow.
Repeat with the other two nuts.

 


Keeping it Simple :-)