The positive effect of consumption of nuts such as hazelnuts and walnuts on chronic diseases is not actually new information. The healthy fatty acids, vegetable proteins and low carbohydrate amounts they contain make nuts interesting with their health benefits.
So, what distinguishes the Brazil nut, whose scientific name is Bertholletia Excelsa, from other nuts?
Actually, I will refer to it as Brazil nut in this article, but since it is called Brazilian nuts in English, Brazil nut is also known as Brazil nut in our language. or as Brazilian nuts. Brazil nuts may be referred to by these names in different sources.
This walnut, which originates from South America, is the fruit of a tree that grows in countries such as Peru, Venezuela and Colombia. In fact, what makes this walnut nutritionally important and different for us is its high amount of antioxidants, Selenium, and its connection with Hashimoto's thyroid.
This walnut, which has been frequently talked about recently with its rich nutritional content, is exported from Brazil to the whole world. Let's examine together this nut, which has a very popular taste as well as its rich content.
If we look at its content, the nut with the highest saturated fat content after coconut is the Brazil nut. In addition, 7% of the total fat consists of omega 3 fatty acids, which indicates the high antioxidant level. Brazil nuts, which are rich in tocopherols, which have a strong antioxidant effect and reduce the risk of heart diseases by preventing the formation of LDL cholesterol, known as bad cholesterol, in the body, are overshadowed by almonds in this area, but only one Brazil nut meets 160% of the amount of Selenium a person should take daily. . This is more than enough to make Brazil nut the best natural source of Selenium among herbal sources.
So what is Selenium and why is it so important for us?
Selenium, which is extremely vital for human life, is actually a mineral that is not produced in our body and we have to get it from outside. Selenium, which has many functions, is necessary to maintain the function of our immune system and thyroid glands. Sufficient amount in the body There are studies showing that it has a cancer-preventing effect when found in combination.
Selenium, which stands out in the search for treatments for cancer and thyroid diseases due to these properties, is also of great importance in Hashimoto's Thyroid disease, which is frequently seen in the Turkish society.
What is Hashimoto's Thyroid?
Immunity. We call autoimmune diseases the diseases that occur when the body declares war on itself as a result of the deterioration of the functions of the immune system, and Hashimoto's thyroid is one of them.
In other words, in Hashimoto's thyroid, our own immune system perceives our thyroid gland as a foreigner and begins to attack it. Over time, thyroid cells are destroyed as a result of inflammation and our thyroid gland begins to shrink. We inevitably enter a period of hormone failure.
So how does this hormone deficiency affect us?
If you feel tired all the time, if you gain weight easily but have difficulty or cannot get rid of this weight, if you have dry skin, it is easy to lose weight. If you complain about coldness, cramps and constipation problems, I recommend you consult your doctor and have an analysis.
The factor that brings Brazil nut together with Hashimoto's thyroid in the same article is, of course, the amount of Selenium it contains. We talked about the importance of selenium in thyroid functions. What if we say that we can positively affect these functions when we take sufficient amounts of Selenium?
Unfortunately, in this process, it is not possible to completely get rid of Hashimoto's thyroiditis with Brazil nuts, but it is at least possible to get enough Selenium from a natural source. According to studies, while Selenium doses below 200 micrograms are not sufficient to reduce the cells that damage our thyroid glands, the positive effects of Selenium in doses between 200-900 micrograms have been seen.
Again, according to a study conducted in 2008, daily consumption of 2 brazil nuts provides 53 micrograms of Selenium. and this amount taken to increase the amount of Selenium in our body has the same effect as 100 micrograms of Selenium taken as a medicine.
As a result, Brazil nut may be a hope as a natural source of Selenium, especially for people suffering from Hashimoto's Thyroid disease, in order to alleviate the effects of the disease, provided that they are under medical supervision.
Read: 0
