Modern-day Americans have begun to include brazil nuts in their diet. People are beginning to see a slue of health benefits from eating Brazil nuts. The tree can reach heights exceeding 145 feet with a trunk diameter of almost 8 feet. The crown spreads out to a breadth of 100 feet or more as it towers over other tropical vegetation in the Amazon forests of South America.
Its large, glossy, dark-green leaves are 12 to 15 inches long, about 6 inches wide, and deeply ribbed. Pale-yellow flowers with six large petals are borne in clusters at the ends of the branches. The spherical dark-brown fruits, which take about 14 months to mature, are 4 to 6 inches in diameter and weigh 2 to 4 pounds each. They resemble large coconuts with a hard, woody casing.
Locals gather the nuts from deep within the jungle forest. It is a hazardous occupation, to say the least. Nut gatherers must contend with terrific heat and humidity, clouds of thirsty mosquitoes and gnats, malaria, giant boa constrictors big enough to swallow an adult German shepherd in several good gulps, deadly poisonous vipers, and even the falling nut fruit itself. The Brazil nut outer shell cocos are hard and spherical shells. They fall from the height of 10-15 story buildings when they fall. Many would see this as a life-threatening hazard.
Cutting open the coca requires great skill. Several full-length blows with a razor-sharp machete in just the right place are needed to release the nuts without damaging them. The shell will open neatly apart, revealing a dozen to two dozen Brazil nuts. Locals closely pack them together, with their thin edges facing inward, like the sections of an orange. The Brazil nuts are put into a large pile where they are turned daily to dry. They contain roughly 35% water.
Locals call Brazil nuts “tocs”. They are considered to be one of the best foods to give to the sick in South America. Brazilian culture states that “the goodness of the gods” is put into every single Brazil nut. If patients receiving the nuts do not have the strength to chew them themselves, nurturers will grind down the nuts into a fine meal and mix it with water to form a crude paste. Locals consider it to help the sick gain weight and heal ailments. This attests to the health benefits of eating Brazil nuts.
Doctors in Los Angeles tested this on a number of his AIDS patients who were in advanced stages of illness. They crushed the nuts into a fine powder and provided them to each patient for the test. Patients would receive half a cup of the serving each day ground to digest and consume easily. They gained an average of 10+ pounds from this while they continued on to live with AIDS symptoms. Patients’ spouses thanked several of the doctors with gratitude for the improved ailments in the patients’ final days.
The best machine to use for making them into nice flour is the Via-Mix Nutrition Center or an equivalent food machine. Be sure to use the plastic container with the heavier blade intended for grinding wheat and making nut butter. (See the Appendix section of this book for more information on where to get the excellent Vita-Mix unit.)
Cover unshelled nuts with boiling, salted water, allowing one tablespoon of salt to a quart of water. Boil gently for 3 minutes. Stain and cool. Crack and quickly remove shells. One would be able to roast the unshelled nuts as well at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Cool, crack, and shell. The nuts come out whole with considerable ease.
Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute recently announced in the early winter of 1995 that animals fed Brazil nuts showed an increased cancer resistance. The tropical nut contains exceptionally high levels of selenium, a trace element with potent anticancer properties. Animals fed a diet enriched with Brazil nuts were better able to resist tumors. Those fed a walnut-enriched diet (walnuts are low in selenium) were less able to fight tumors. The researchers then compared the Brazil nut’s anticancer potential to selenium supplements. They discovered the nut to be “just as powerful as sodium selenite.” The Roswell Park research group advises eating a few Brazil nuts a day to bolster selenium reserves.
Brazil nuts have a wide array of healing properties that support the health of any individual. Brazilian locals attest to improved organ function, weight loss, brain function, and more. Many fitness professionals utilize Brazil nuts for their hormone optimization properties through their amazing nutrient content. Eating just a few Brazil nuts a day can have a drastic impact on anyone’s life, improving their overall well-being.
Several high names in the fitness industry view Brazil nuts as a superfood. The reason for this is the fact that just two nuts contain over 100% of the recommended daily selenium requirement for human health. Brazil nuts have been shown to balance thyroid and hormone production because of this fact. Case studies have shown a metabolic increase as well as further body temperature regulation from eating Brazil nuts on a regular basis.
Former bodybuilders have attested to including brazil nuts in their diet as well. The nutrient content as well as the high caloric density have provided the ability to increase muscle gain in a short time frame for increased mass. By the same token, the balance of hormones and thyroid functions allows the body to burn fat simultaneously as well.
Scientists state that brazil nuts are high in vitamin E as well as antioxidants. They have seen that both of these promote beneficial skin health as well as brain function. Vitamin E can help to repair the skin and prevent scarring, while antioxidants are anti-inflammatory. Brazil nuts have been attested as a reason for South Americans to be known for having healthy, vibrant skin. On top of this, the antioxidants decrease inflammation in the brain, allowing for further brain function.
Further studies have proven that Brazil nuts assist in the prevention of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, which can be so prevalent in modern-day elderly. Just eating a few each week has been shown to decrease the chances of illness. As a beacon of health, it is no wonder that Brazil nuts have increased in popularity over the years.
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