Autoimmune Disease and Selenium
Autoimmune Disease and Selenium.
What is Selenium?
Selenium is an essential trace mineral that works behind the scenes to protect your cells from oxidative stress, support healthy thyroid function, and keep your immune system balanced.
Studies show that adequate selenium levels can help regulate overactive immune responses—particularly in autoimmune thyroid conditions like Hashimoto's—by calming inflammation and supporting healthy hormone conversion.
The best part? Brazil nuts are naturally packed with selenium. Eating just one to two Brazil nuts a day provides all the selenium an average adult needs.
Why Just Two Nuts Works: The Science Behind It
Because we usually think of nuts as something to eat by the handful, it can be hard to believe that just two nuts make a difference—yet the science backs it up:
Deep roots, concentrated nutrition: Wild Brazil nut trees have massive root systems in the Amazon rainforest that draw selenium from the soil and concentrate it inside the seed far more efficiently than almost any other food on earth.
Hitting your daily target: A single Brazil nut typically contains between 68 and 91 micrograms (mcg) of selenium. In the UK, the NHS sets the daily requirement at 60 mcg for women and 75 mcg for men—meaning literally one or two nuts meets your full daily need.
Proven in clinical research: A clinical trial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate just two Brazil nuts a day for 12 weeks raised their blood selenium levels and antioxidant enzyme activity just as effectively as those taking a 100 mcg selenium supplement.
(If you have a nut allergy or want extra variety, oily fish, eggs, poultry, and sunflower seeds are also reliable dietary sources.)
A Quick "More Isn't Always Better" Note
Because Brazil nuts are so uniquely rich in selenium, treat them almost like a whole-food supplement rather than a snack you eat by the bowlful. Stick to one or two a day—and avoid doubling up with high-dose selenium capsules unless advised by your GP.
Getting too much selenium over time can push you past the safe daily upper limit (around 255 to 400 mcg) and trigger side effects such as brittle nails, hair thinning, and fatigue—symptoms that look confusingly similar to thyroid or autoimmune flares!
Surely it can’t be that easy to give our bodies a daily boost? Sometimes, the simplest whole-food habits truly are the most powerful.
I hope you have enjoyed this information. Until next time!
Emma Alexander-Cook.
Facebook Support Group
A Facebook group set up to support those living with Autoimmune Diseases or are living gluten-free, dairy-free life.
