Bertholettia excelsa which is also called Amazonian nut, Brazil nut in English, castanheiro do para in Brazil is a large tree of the Amazonian primary forest.
It is present in Brazil and in South American countries which have part of the Amazon basin (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and the Guyanas).
It is a large tree, 30 to 50 m, which dominates the canopy. Moreover, everything about this tree is imposing, its massive trunk without branches, its foliage with long oblong leaves (up to 60 cm), its flowers. which require the presence of large Amazonian hymenoptera to ensure pollination (which is cross-pollinated) and its fruit, a hard shell the size of a melon, weighing up to 2 kg capable of killing a man when it falls from the » 10 stories” of the tree.
This woody fruit contains, well packaged, 10 to 30 triangular and arched seeds which enclose a white oleaginous kernel.
BRAZIL NUT OILSEED AND DIETARY NUT
The oilseed kernels of the Brazil nut contain approximately:
- 66% lipids,
- 14% protein,
- 13% carbohydrates,
- minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, relatively a lot of potassium),
- trace elements: including approximately 2 mg per 100g of selenium, which makes it a remarkable source, and also other minerals: radium (radioactive) or barium (potentially toxic)
- vitamins including 5 mg per 100 g of vitamin E.
The lipid content of the Para nut is interesting: more than 70% lipids with unsaturated fatty acids (40% linoleic acid (omega 6) and more than 30% oleic acid), and around 25% lipids with fatty acids saturated (palmitic acid 14% and stearic acid 10%).
It is of course lacking in linolenic acid lipids (omega 3) but this prevents the Brazil nut almond from going rancid too quickly.
We also note the presence of phytosterols of interest both in dietetics and in cosmetology.
The Brazil nut almond is eaten fresh or lightly toasted (often as an aperitif), it is also used in pastries or to make ice cream.
Like all almonds, Brazil nuts and almonds must be stored protected from humidity and fungi which, when they proliferate, can secrete potentially carcinogenic aflatoxins.
WARNING, PEOPLE WHO ARE ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS ARE GENERALLY ALSO ALLERGIC TO BRAZIL NUTS
It is now well known that there is a steady increase in populations in developed countries, especially in children, in food allergies, particularly to nuts.
These dangerous allergies develop on atopy: the genetic tendency to develop allergic diseases, this condition is accompanied by respiratory, digestive or skin polysensitivities: bronchial asthma, eczema, urticaria and especially permanent fear of a violent allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock) with difficulty breathing due to laryngeal edema.
Food allergy to nuts generally begins in early childhood with an allergy to peanuts, then spreads to other oilseeds: Brazil nuts, macadamia, almonds, hazelnuts.
Children or adults who are likely to have an allergic reaction to food or insect bites with laryngeal edema should have on them or nearby an emergency injectable « kit » (containing adrenaline or epinephrine) and know how to use it. Allergic sensitivity to almonds can be surprising: we know of the case of a woman who developed a violent allergic reaction after unprotected sex, her partner had nibbled on Brazil nuts some time before. The allergens were present in the sperm!
BRAZIL NUT and DIETETICS
Regular, almost daily consumption of one to two Brazil nut kernels provides selenium which, according to some studies, would limit the development of prostate cancer especially when combined with vitamin E supplementation.
A Brazilian study shows that regular consumption of Brazil nuts improves the blood lipid profile and blood microcirculation in obese teenage girls.
BRAZIL NUT OIL
It is a food and cosmetic oil.
In food, it is best mixed with another oil containing a higher percentage of alpha linolenic acid (omega 3): rapeseed oil, soybean oil, wheat germ oil, walnut oil.
Brazil nut oil is a good cosmetic oil that keeps well away from light and in a cool place: protective but without a greasy film, softening and moisturizing, it gives good results on overly dry skins as well as on overly dry hair, with damaged ends or simply tangled.
CULTIVATION OF BERTHOLLETIA EXCELSA THE BRAZILIAN WALNUT
The vast majority of the thousands of tons of Brazil nuts come from wild trees.
BRAZIL NUT cultivation is possible but does not give good results.
It is made from seeds, which are slow to germinate and you have to wait around fifteen years to know if the tree will be a good producer. Pollination is capricious because it requires the presence of large wasps and several Brazilian walnut trees (cross-pollination) which are not present in forests degraded by humans.
In the Amazon rainforest, it is large rodents, macaws with powerful beaks, or certain monkeys clever enough to find a way to extract the seeds from their woody shell which ensure the dispersal of the Amazon walnut.
The wood of this tree is of very good quality but it is a protected species.
copyright 2024 Dr Jean-Michel Hurtel