You’re awesome Melissa! Thanks for such a thoughtful reply. Brazil nuts aren’t a staple in my kitchen, so I’m pretty sure I’m not at risk.

Lizzie – you’re right about the selenium content in Brazil nuts, but it all depends on the soil they’re grown in. Brazil nuts grown in areas with high-selenium soil can have a whopping 544 mcg of selenium in about 6 nuts, but if grown in low-selenium soil, the content in the nut is about 10 times less. The suggested upper intake level (UL) is 400 mcg/day, so yes, eating 4 nuts daily could put you over that level. But, you don’t know whether your Brazil nut was grown in selenium-rich soil or not, so I wouldn’t worry about it unless you’re eating them every day. You’re right though, high doses can cause toxicity.

Both humans and animals require selenium in small amounts and deficiencies can cause serious problems. It’s an essential element, so we need to get it from outside sources – plants grown in selenium-rich soil.

FYI – New Zealand has almost no selenium in its soil.

Thanks, very good question!

I remember reading recently that Brazil Nuts, if eaten more than four daily, can cause selenium toxicity. Any idea if this is true?

BTW — I love your blog. You seem to talk about many of my favorite things: health, exercise, the outdoors and of course, gluten-free cooking.