Binomial name

"Bertholletia excelsa"

Brazil nuts Nutritional value per 100 grams RDA
Energy 2870 kJ
696 kcal
Protein 14 g
Carbohydrates 6 g
o.w. sugars 2 g
Fats 67 g
o.w. saturated 19 g
o.w. mono unsat. 22 g
o.w. poly unsat. 25 g
Dietary fiber 6 g
Sodium 2 mg
Calcium 175 mg 22%
Magnesium 350 mg 93%
Phosphorus 700 mg 100%
Iron 2.8 mg 20%
Zinc 4.5 mg 45%
Vitamin B1 0.6 mg 55%
Vitamin B2 0 mg 0%
Vitamin B3 0.3 mg 2%
Vitamin E 6 mg 50%
Folic acid 22 mcg 11%
RDA = Recommended Daily Amount
Warning: Small children can choke on nuts.

Brazil nuts

nut_small_brazilnut.jpg The Brazil nut can be mainly found in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela. The Brazil nut became known in Europe because a Spanish officer fed his starving men with Brazil nuts. These men soon recovered as a result of the energy and nutritional value of the Brazil nut.

Eye-catching tree

The Brazil nut resembles a coconut and grows on a tree that is 40 to 60 metres high with a diameter of about two metres. In the wild, this eye-catching tree can be found in the Brazilian Amazon area. The tree is gigantic and towers above everything and everyone. The Brazil nut is aptly named after its most important country of origin. Fruit (hard balls) falls from the tree during the months of November to March. These balls contain eight to twelve seeds, known as Brazil nuts, in the shell.

Nutritional value

botanic_brazil_nuts.jpg Brazil nuts are very rich in the mineral selenium, owing to the soil in the sun-drenched Amazon area where they grow. A handful of Brazil nuts contain at least 480% of the GDA of selenium. Selenium is an important antioxidant, as is vitamin E in nuts. Brazil nuts also contain a high level of phosphorus. Phosphorus keeps teeth and bones strong.