Brazil Nuts, Selenium, & the Smoothie I Drink Almost Every Day

By Sara McGlothlin

Did you know, that in order to increase your selenium levels, all it takes is eating two brazil nuts per day? Why care? Let me back up…

A few months ago at an annual check-up, I had some blood work done. Without boring you too much with the details, it became apparent my thyroid health needed some support. I immediately thought of brazil nuts, as they are high in selenium, a mineral essential for proper thyroid function. It is also a mineral in which many people are deficient, and while supplementation is a possibility, there is a narrow safety window when it comes to selenium. In other words, too much of this mineral can be toxic, so you want to get the levels just right. This study shows that eating just two brazil nuts per day is an effective way of increasing your selenium levels.

That gave me an idea. I typically drink a protein smoothie every day after my workout. Normally, I add a nut butter for some healthy fat, but if I replaced that ingredient with two brazil nuts, I not only would be incorporating healthy fat, I would also be meeting my selenium quota. This comes with the added bonus of decreasing my nut butter consumption, which is something I have a tendency to overeat. It’s easy to do when peanut butter is your favorite food. That being said, I do switch it up from time to time. Sometimes it is walnuts, other times it is macadamia nuts, but I love the added benefit that brazil nuts provide. This is the smoothie I drink most days after my workout.

I also have a recipe for homemade brazil nut milk, which is smooth, creamy, and makes a good substitution for almond or oat milk.