Brazil nuts are tree nuts native to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. Their smooth, buttery texture and nutty flavor are typically enjoyed raw or blanched.
These nuts are energy dense, highly nutritious, and one of the most concentrated dietary sources of the mineral selenium.
Eating Brazil nuts may benefit your health in several ways, including regulating your thyroid gland, reducing inflammation, and supporting your heart, brain, and immune system.
Brazil nuts are rich in selenium. One nut can contain 175% of the RDI. Selenium is an essential trace element that is vital for your immune system, thyroid gland, and cell growth. Your thyroid gland produces hormones that are necessary for growth, metabolism, and body temperature regulation. One Brazil nut contains enough selenium to support the production of thyroid hormones and proteins that protect your thyroid.