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Q. I was taken aback by your remarks about limiting the number of Brazil nuts eaten. Many years ago when I was growing up, my parents bought nuts at Christmastime. Brazil nuts were my favorites and I ate tons of them. I continued the tradition as an adult. I ate lots myself and gave them to my children.
I have not seen Brazil nuts much recently and I seldom eat them. But what did I do to my health and my children’s with all these nuts?
A. Any health problems that might arise as a result of excess selenium would fade after you were no longer eating Brazil nuts or other selenium-rich foods. Selenium is a little bit like Goldilocks’ porridge: you need enough, but not too much.
The most common symptoms of selenium poisoning are seen in hair and nails. They can become quite brittle and fall out. Other problems you might have noted around Christmastime could have included rash, stomach upset, irritability or fatigue.
The tolerable upper limit of selenium is 400 micrograms a day for adults and less for children. An ounce of Brazil nuts, about half a dozen, may contain as much as 800 micrograms of selenium, so it makes sense not to gorge on too many too often.
My husband is deathly allergic to brazil nuts, so this story caught our eye. We are wondering if it might have something to do with the high levels of selenium in them, and if that is what he is allergic to? He is not allergic to any other type of nut, although avoids them all since many nuts are processed with Brazil nuts.
He developed the allergy at the age of 4, when his parents had to rush him to the emergency room because his tongue and throat had swelled shut. Years later, when he was in his twenties, I had the same experience with him. However, a trip to the ER, or some adrenaline and epinephrine are all it takes to relieve the symptoms, just like many other nut allerges.
Also, I just did a bit of research at the Office of Dietary Supplements website and found that canned tuna and large amounts of cooked beef have the 2nd and 3rd largest amounts of selenium in them (trace compared to Brazil nuts, though). However, he sometimes has a strange reaction of minor throat swelling to eating these two things as well. (http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp)
If you have any thoughts on if his allergy is actually to selenium, we would appreciate hearing them.
Earlier this week I ate a large quantity (probably about 20 or 25) of brazil nuts and suddenly began to feel a constriction in my lungs. My skin then felt very hot, and looking in the mirror I saw that I had turned a bright shade of red all over my face and body. The symptoms began to recede after about 10 mins (while my husband and I were deciding whether to call a doctor) and disappeared within about 30 minutes. Apart from feeling a bit sick and shaky for a while, I have had no subsequent ill effects. Does this mean I am now allergic to brazil nuts or could I still eat them in moderation?
I eat Brazil nuts all the time. In fact, just before reading this article, I had pushed back at least 10. I eat them almost every day for a snack between breakfast and lunch and sometimes a second time between lunch and dinner. I eat them regularly during Christmas time and throughout the year (when available under $6.00/bag). I have never had any symptoms of rashes, irritability, or gastric problems. To compound the selenium intake problem, I also eat tuna and peanuts (both up there on the list of high selenium foods).
Could it be possible that my body has become accustomed to having high amounts of the mineral in my body? Much like a smoker would with tobacco? I have never really considered myself in danger if I polish off a 1/4lb bag of Brazil nuts in a day or two. Should I be?
-Carl-
I have a similar allergy as Lori explained for her husband. AND for the past year have been treated for hypothyroidism...there has to be a link and i'm looking for more info.
THANKS.~j
I have always been extremely allergic to Brazil nuts. I eat other nuts occasionally with no problems whatsoever. However, if I eat other nuts that have been processed with Brazil nuts I get a severe reaction including throat and lung constrictions.
I had an experience several years ago on Christmas Eve, where I ate two Brazil nuts and promptly felt dizzy, fell down and hit my head and couldn't get back up. I happened to be at my parents house for the holidays so they called 911. The ambulance showed up in about 3 minutes (even though there was a blizzard here in Denver), and they said if they'd been delayed I would have been dead due to expansion of capillaries reducing oxygen flow to my brain. I now read food labels extremely carefully! I can't even imagine how much of a pain it must be to have the same issue with peanuts!!
I am also highly allergic to Brazil nuts. I found out about the allergy as a child. Having only had maybe 4 incidents, I now carry an Epi-pen. As long as I knew there were no Brazil nuts, I have always gone ahead and eaten all the other nuts. Until, the case of the Rocky Road ice cream. Apparently, the almonds had run out and they finished the recipe with Brazil nuts!! I took two licks and knew within moments I was having a reaction. These type of nuts are very oily and are used as substitutes for other types of nuts. Someone told me that Brazil nuts or the oil is being added to lipstick. SO BEWARE!!
for years at Christmas time my eyes would get irritated and watery. Skin dry and very itchy, always more so at Christmas than any other time in the winter. This one holiday season I was at my friends house and his children needed some nuts cracked. I picked up a Brazil nut and cracked it. Within seconds my eyes started watering , so I rubbed them with my fingers. Within one minute my whole face had swollen up. It looked like I was rocky at the end of rocky part one. My throat felt extremely dry and irritable. (always an open bowl of nuts at Christmas time).
Earlier today (between 4-6pm) I probably ate about 20-30 brazil nuts, mainly because I was peckish, and they were the only snack at hand! About 7pm I started getting stomach pains, which peaked (pain) at about 9-9:30pm. It is 11:15pm now and the pain has dulled. I am guessing I got selenium poisoning? It was not an experience I would want to go through again, and will definitely not be touching Brazil's for a while!! Brazil nut gluttony isn't worth it, I hope this saves someone the pain!!