6 SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS OF BRAZILIAN SEED - NUTRITION - 2025

The secondary effects of the Brazilian seed produced by its ingestion have been a great controversy among nutritionists and other food professionals. The Brazilian seed was placed on the market as a product intended to lose weight, although consumed in large quantities it can be toxic. In fact, according to several testimonials it is bad and generates negative consequences for health.

It is therefore important to know its contraindications, risks and possible dangers that it may have. Also, it will help to pay attention to possible symptoms that indicate that you are having adverse effects on the body.

What is the seed of Brazil?

The Brazilian seed, also known as Bertholletia excelsa, belongs to a tree native to South America, which is part of the family called Lecythidaceae. The tree is a part of the Ericales order, within which there are other plants such as blueberries, cranberries, gutta-percha, currants, tea, among others.

It is easily distinguished from other trees because it reaches approximately fifty meters in height and has a trunk one to two meters in diameter, making it one of the largest trees in the Amazon.

These seeds are considered in part healthy because they contain protein, selenium, vitamin E and B, supposedly helping to lose weight if taken naturally. However, special attention should be paid to its side effects. In this article we will tell you what they are and why.

Is it toxic?

Before going on to the side effects, I would like to answer this question clearly, so that you avoid problems after consumption:

The Brazilian seed can be toxic if consumed in excess, since it can lead to the accumulation of radium and selenium in the body. In any case, to avoid problems and prevent, it is best to consume it every so often, not every day.

On the other hand, it is not necessary to risk, since there are other foods and nuts that have no risk and that have other benefits.

Side effects of taking Brazilian seed

1- Damage by radioactivity

According to the Encyclopedia of Safe Food, radiation levels in seeds from Brazil can be up to a thousand times higher than that found in any other food. "This is not caused by contamination or elevated levels of radium in the soil, but rather by the very elaborate root system of the Brazilian seed tree."

It has a very large and extensive network, with roots from the water filter and soil nutrients that are larger than those of an average tree ”, says the letter.

According to data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), in Germany an average amount of 0.1 grams of seeds from Brazil is consumed per person per day in Germany. Based on this average, the level of consumption does not represent a health risk, but it does represent consuming more than two seeds per day.

2- It can damage DNA

Low doses of radiation can be repaired, but higher doses can change the cells in our body. In these cases, cancer can develop.

Large doses of radiation kill cells

Radiation therapy, for example, uses radiation to attack and destroy tumor cells, while at the same time seeking to minimize damage to normal tissue.

2- Selenium poisoning

Selenium is an essential nutrient for humans. It has important uses in thyroid function, DNA synthesis, and the reproductive system. Additionally, there is research that has suggested that it can help prevent cancer, offer neurological benefits, and reduce a person's risk of joint inflammation.

30 grams of Brazilian seeds contain 544 mcg of selenium, which is the equivalent of 777% of your recommended diet. This means that a single seed can contain up to 91 mcg of selenium, which corresponds to 165% of what is recommended in adults.

The National Institutes of Health indicates that most Americans consume sufficient amounts in their daily diet, averaging 108.5 mcg, so a single seed is likely to cause them to drop excessively.

“The acute toxicity of selenium is the result of ingesting products that contain large amounts of it. In 2008, for example, 201 people experienced serious adverse reactions from taking a liquid dietary supplement that contained 200 times the labeled amount. Simply put, excess selenium can be toxic.

In February 2008, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a very interesting study. A 12-week experiment was conducted with 60 volunteers, finding that participants who consumed two Brazil nuts a day had much higher levels of selenium than compared to those who consumed a 100-microgram supplement or took a placebo.

3- Risk of diabetes and heart disease

Several studies have shown an association of high levels of selenium in the blood and increased risk of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and risk of heart disease.

Researchers at the Warwick School of Medicine in Coventry, England, conducted an observational study of 1,042 people between 19 and 64 years of age from 2000 to 2001 to measure selenium levels in the blood compared to cholesterol level.

The results revealed that participants with 1.20 micromoles (about 94 micrograms) of selenium in their blood, showed an average increase of 8% in total cholesterol and a 10% increase in LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol associated with heart disease.

The study authors noted that while these results raise concerns, they were unable to show that increased blood selenium levels were the cause of the rise in cholesterol levels or whether it was due to other factors. Those people who had higher levels of selenium in their blood revealed that they were regularly taking selenium supplements.

However the study's lead author, Dr. Saverio Strange concluded:

'The increases in cholesterol that we have identified may have important implications for public health. In fact, such a difference could translate into a large number of premature deaths from coronary heart disease. We believe that the widespread use of selenium supplements, or any other strategy that artificially increases the level of selenium above the required level, is not justified at present.

4- hair loss

First of all, hair becomes dry and brittle, making its ends easier to break. After a while, it will shed from the scalp if people did not pay attention to the gradual loss of hair and continued to overeat the seeds.

On the other hand, hair can also start to fade from the eyelashes, chest, thighs, eyebrows, and anywhere else there is hair.

It is important to note that hair loss occurs within a couple of weeks after consumption in toxic or excessive form of the seed. Once consumption is stopped, the effect will last for about two more weeks.

5- Digestive complications

Although less common, the excess consumption of Brazilian seeds includes problems in the digestive system. Symptoms begin with a garlic smell in the breath, a metallic taste in the mouth, diarrhea, stained teeth or skin rashes among others.

6- Neurological symptoms

Selenium poisoning can cause damage to nerves and brain tissue. Symptoms are: irritability, listlessness, fatigue, feeling dizzy, emotional instability, tingling or loss of sensation in the arms and legs, tremors in the hands, reduced blood pressure, and in rare but possible cases, unconsciousness and death.

Other side effects of excess selenium, according to the NIH are the fragility or loss of nails, muscle pain, redness of the face, acute respiratory distress syndrome or kidney failure among others.

Questions and answers

It is surely new for you to hear that there are radioactive foods, and questions began to arise in your head about why, how and what will I be consuming that may have radiation and to what extent this is safe. Below I will answer some of these questions based on sources such as the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration).

Are there naturally radioactive foods?

Yes. Technically all foods are radioactive in nature, because they all contain carbon. However, there are foods that emit much more radiation than others, such as the aforementioned seeds from Brazil, bananas, carrots, potatoes, red meat, beer, peanut butter and even drinking water.

On the contrary, there are non-radioactive foods that are subjected to this practice, because radiation can serve the following purposes:

• Prevent foodborne illness.
• Effectively eliminate organisms that cause foodborne illness, such as salmonella and Escherichia coli (E. coli).
• Prevent, destroy or inactivate microorganisms that cause spoilage and decomposition, as well as to extend the shelf life of food.
• Destroy the insects inside the imported fruits. Irradiation also decreases the need for other pest control practices that can damage fruit.
• Delaying germination and maturation.
• Inhibit germination (for example of potatoes) to delay fruit ripening and thus increase longevity.
• Irradiation can be used to sterilize food, which can be stored for years without refrigeration. Sterilized food is useful in hospitals for patients with severely impaired immune systems, such as AIDS patients or those receiving chemotherapy.

How can I know if my food has been irradiated?

Each country has its own regulation, for example the FDA in the United States requires that irradiated foods carry the international symbol of irradiation. The person should look for the Radura symbol along with the statement "treated with radiation" or "treated by irradiation" on the food label.

Radura symbol

In some countries, bulk foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are required to be individually marked or have a label next to the container.

It is important to remember that irradiation is not a substitute for food hygiene management practices by producers, processors and consumers.

Irradiated food needs to be stored, handled and cooked in the same way as non-irradiated food, because it could still be contaminated with disease-causing microorganisms if basic safety rules are not followed.

Are these foods safe to eat?

There are organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which have studied over the years the safety of irradiated food and have found the process to be safe.

However, exposure to radioactivity is cumulative, so any unnecessary or excessive exposure to radiation should be avoided, as in the case of the subject of this article.

Experiences of people who have consumed the seed

Searching the internet I found a forum in which some consumers related their experience about the side effects that the seeds from Brazil had produced. These are some comments:

Billy: “I am 61 years old and I ate fifteen shelled Brazil nuts in the course of one night… I have never had an allergy to nuts and I have a cast iron stomach so no problems, correct? Incorrect! Throughout the next day I felt horrible… with chills, aches and pains, and very frequent visits to the bathroom. After 4 days is when I am returning to my normal state. Turns out there are a lot of things on the net about this. Also, apparently this toxicity appears in an episode of the television series House. I have experienced it first hand and it is not fiction ”.

Diana: “I had started eating 3-4 Brazilian seeds a day for a little over a week. Suddenly one day after 20 minutes had passed after I had eaten the last seed, I was on the toilet waiting to throw up. My stomach felt like it was full of stones and it was making noises. It took me about 3 hours for the discomfort to pass ”.

Anonymous: "Yesterday I ate a lot of seeds from Brazil and shortly after I started having stomach pain and body aches, nausea and diarrhea… I suspect food poisoning."

Carl Conventry: “After chewing half a packet of Brazilian seeds in the last few days and eating a little more today I have belatedly realized that I am not feeling well… My symptoms have been nausea, but what is more worrying is that I feel a disconnection with reality and a peculiar feeling of dizziness ”.

Conclusions

Based on all the information collected and exposed, the conclusion is that we can decide between eating a maximum of two Brazilian seeds a day or simply looking for other options to obtain the benefits that this seed offers, but without the risks or side effects that it produces.