Brazil nuts are a good source of the essential mineral selenium. In fact eating brazil nuts makes it possible to easily obtain the recommended intake for selenium. But why are brazil nuts in particular such a good source of selenium? Like any plant, Brazil nut trees can only accumulate selenium if the mineral is in the soil. This is because minerals are not manufactured by plants, but pass from the soil into the roots, and are then distributed in certain parts of the plant, depending on the metabolic needs of the plant. As Brazil nut trees grow wild in selenium rich soils in South America, the selenium content is high. However, Brazil nut trees are also able to accumulate selenium more so that many other plants. In this regard the Brazil nut tree is known to accumulate selenium, particularly in the Brazil nuts it produces. A single Brazil nut can contain somewhere between 50 and 100 micrograms of selenium, meaning that a few Brazil nuts a day can supply enough selenium for an adult human to remain healthy.
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