Go Nuts For Selenium!

23 March 2010

I've been inspired to get a bit more nutty this past week or so... who doesn't love a tasty little handful of nuts for a snack? Well, obviously people with nut allergies would be slapping me at this point, as they can't enjoy these tasty morsels. But, for the rest of us nuts are a really tasty, healthy snack to include in our diet.

But rather than talk about nuts in general, today I want to talk specifically about Brazil nuts and the mineral selenium. Because Brazil nuts are a very handy source of selenium, a mineral that most New Zealanders simply don't get enough of.

New Zealand's Poor Selenium Status

The simple fact is that New Zealand's soil contains low levels of selenium, this means that all produce grown in NZ soil and all cattle that graze on NZ grass tend to have lower selenium levels than many of their overseas equivalents. And while this isn't a dire situation, it does raise some concerns about our selenium status, as selenium is essential for our good health. And New Zealand isn't the only country with low selenium levels in their food supply, a number of other countries such as China and Finland also have low soil selenium levels.

Selenium And Good Health

Selenium is an important part of various compounds involved in antioxidant defences within our body cells, our metabolism, immune function and reproduction. Low selenium status has also been linked with an increased risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, poor immune function, male infertility, inflammatory disorders, immune disorders and viral infections.

And while I'm not suggesting that we consume piles of selenium, there is good evidence to suggest that ensuring we get the recommended dietary intake level every day (60 mcg for women, 70 mcg for men) or a little bit more, can help to reduce the risk of chronic disease and enhance our immune system.

Brazil Nuts - A Tasty Selenium Source

And that's where Brazil nuts come in - as while the NZ food supply isn't a great source of selenium, Brazil nuts are a very handy selenium source. A 2008 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that eating just two brazil nuts a day – containing around 100 micrograms of selenium – was as effective at optimising selenium status as selenium containing dietary supplements.

So enjoying just two brazil nuts a day, as part of a morning or afternoon snack, is a great way to ensure you're getting enough selenium, and these nuts also contain good unsaturated fats, fibre and many other nutrients that are good for our health. The important thing is not to overdo things - just TWO brazil nuts per day. If you eat more than that it's possible that selenium could accumulate in your body, and that's not good, plus the nuts also contain metals such as barium and radium and we don't need or want lots of those in our body.

So add just two brazil nuts to your daily food intake and relax, safe in the knowledge that you've got your selenium intake sorted without the need for an expensive dietary supplement - brilliant and tasty!

Improve Your Eating Habits Now

About The Author

Jennifer Bowden Nutritionist, MSc (Dist), BSc (Hons) - Human Nutrition

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