A typical Brazil nut contains about 96 micrograms (mcg) of selenium, but the amount can vary a lot from nut to nut depending on where it was grown.

Quick Scoop

  • Average selenium in one Brazil nut: ~96 mcg (about 175–180% of the adult daily requirement of 55 mcg).
  • A small nut might have much less, and a large, high-selenium nut can have several times that amount.
  • Many nutrition sources therefore suggest sticking to about 1–3 Brazil nuts per day to avoid getting too much selenium over time.

In everyday terms: it only takes one Brazil nut to easily cover your daily selenium needs, and a handful can overshoot your daily upper limit if the nuts are on the high end of selenium content.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.