Go nuts for selenium

| 2 June 2008
minute reading time

Brazil nuts are a rich source of selenium but until now no studies have investigated how available this mineral is for us to use (bioavailability). Researchers from the University of Otago in Dunedin in New Zealand found that consuming just two Brazil nuts a day for 12 weeks increased the amount of selenium in the blood by over 60 per cent. The authors of this study concluded that including Brazil nuts in the diet could avoid the need for supplements.

Thomson CD, Chisholm A, McLachlan SK, Campbell JM. 2008. Brazil nuts: an effective way to improve selenium status. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 87 (2) 379-384.

About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
I joined Viva! as a health campaigner in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. My scientific training helped me research and write numerous reports, guides and fact sheets for Viva! including Meat the Truth, Fish-Free for Life, One in Nine (breast cancer and diet) and the substantial report on the detrimental health effects of consuming dairy; White Lies. This accompanied Viva!’s report The Dark Side of Dairy which spelt out the inherent cruelty of dairy farming. We were the first UK group to take on the dairy industry in this way, and many of our supporters go vegan after reading these reports.

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