The Brazil nut has an interesting background story, as it is a natural uncultivated product that is collected from the wild on the banks of the Amazon river.
The production relies on the crop that the trees in the rainforest provide. Whatever level of volume comes out of the forest, that is what can be processed, while conserving the rainforest and providing for the communities living in the forest.
The crop is collected by the community at large because it is a means of generating revenue from the rainforest for the rural community, while conserving rather than depleting the rainforest. In the video we show the logistical nightmare for getting the Brazil nut crop out of the rainforest and back to our factory where we pack and deliver to our stores. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QVKFYXBVk4
Brazil nut trees can grow as high as 200 feet. The edible nuts themselves are found inside the fruit of the tree these are round pods with a coconut-like shell. When cracked open, the nuts inside are in orange-like segments. There are about 12-20 Brazil nuts per pod.
Biologists have discovered that Brazil nut trees rely on bees and other plants like orchids to thrive. The agouti, a guinea pig-like mammal, also contributes to the Brazil Nut reproductive process. These creatures have small, chisel-like teeth capable of penetrating the pod, so they can eat the nuts, or drop them into the soil where they germinate and grow into new trees.
Brazil nuts can be eaten raw or blanched. They can be added to different recipes or enjoyed as a snack, with a drizzle of salt. These nuts are crunchy, but with an almost creamy flavour.
Benefits of Brazil Nuts
- Help manage blood pressure levels. Nutrients like calcium, sodium, magnesium and potassium are all necessary in blood pressure control.
- Give your heart health a boost. The palmitoleic acid and oleic acid in Brazil nuts have been linked to balanced cholesterol and boosting heart health, through the elimination of dangerous omega-6 fatty acids.
- Help improve thyroid function. Being deficient in selenium can actually affect thyroid metabolism. One study, for example, found improvement in the low thyroid levels of people who consumed Brazil nuts as a selenium supplement.
- Keep your skin healthy. The selenium in the nuts not only helps improve skin elasticity, but gives it a healthy glow as well. This is because selenium stimulates glutathione activity. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant compound that may help eliminate free radicals from the skin.
The nuts can be mixed into your morning porridge, drizzled over salads or added to trail mixes. These nuts are also perfect for a pre or post workout snack.
