It is not just the environment Brazils can protect. They also have a string of nutrients boosting the well-being of anyone who eats them.
They are packed with unsaturated fats which lower “bad” cholesterol and support the good variety to fight heart disease.
A handful of 12-14 nuts (40g) has 5.6g of protein and 3g of fibre and an impressive range of minerals. There is more than half your daily requirement for both magnesium and phosphorous. Magnesium is vital for bone health, the nervous system and controlling inflammation. Phosphorous is also important for bones (and teeth) and in addition, helps release energy from food.
That handful also has more than 15% of your zinc which is important for the immune system and skin health. Those nuts also have significant amounts of Niacin (B1) for the nervous system as well as the important antioxidant Vitamin E.
They also have ellagic acid which research is beginning to show may support brain health.
Brazils are one of the richest food sources of the essential mineral selenium which has an antioxidant role in the body. It protects nerves and cells as well as being important for the normal functioning of the thyroid.
It may also be linked to brain health. While amounts in food depend on the soil in which crops grow between two and five nuts provides an adult’s daily requirement.
