Brazil Nut - Bertholletia excelsa

Common Names: Brazil Nut, Brazil nuts, Pará nut, Amazon nut, Bertholletia excelsa, Castanha-do-Pará, Castanha-do-Brasil, Chestnut from Pará, Nuez del Brasil, Juvia, Juvia ztepilá, Monkey pot, International: Brazil Nut, English: Brazil Nut, Latin: Bertholletia excelsa, Origin: South America, Indigenous names: Ñá, Tuka

Latin Name: Bertholletia excelsa

Origin: Asia, South America

Short Introduction

The Brazil nut tree is rarely cultivated for nut collection; instead, most of the world’s supply comes from wild trees growing in pristine rainforests. Disturbed forests lack the large bees (genera Bombus, Centris, Epicharis, Eulaema, and Xylocopa), which are the only pollinators able to fertilize Brazil nut trees at the proper time of year. While plantations for Brazil nuts have been established in Brazil, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, yields remain very low, making cultivation uneconomical. Mature fruit capsules drop from the tree when ripe and are gathered by hand. Seeds that are not collected or consumed by wildlife (such as rodents) will sprout, ensuring regeneration and expansion of the forest.

It takes about 14 months for the Brazil nut fruit to mature after pollination. The fruit itself is a large woody capsule, 10–15 cm in diameter, resembling a coconut both in size and weight (about 2 kg). The shell is extremely hard (8–14 mm thick) and typically contains up to 24 triangular seeds, each 4–5 cm long. The base of the capsule has a small opening, allowing larger rodents like agouti to gnaw through and access the seeds.

Some seeds are stored by rodents in shaded sites, where they may sprout after 2–3 weeks—though if conditions are not sufficiently moist, sprouting can be delayed for up to two years. It may take several more years for the young sapling to reach sunlight and begin active growth. Substantial yields begin only after the tree reaches 14–20 years of age. Around 20,000 tons of Brazil nuts are harvested yearly, with Bolivia producing approximately 50%, Brazil 40%, and the rest from Peru. In addition to providing nuts, the trees are also harvested for timber and their medicinal uses; however, the lengthy period before harvest makes commercial cultivation economically challenging (as it may take 10–30 years before a newly planted tree yields nuts).

The Brazil nut tree is a prime example of the intricate Amazonian ecosystem—plants and animals are mysteriously and inevitably interconnected. Not only is pollination highly specialized, depending on specific insects, but only one animal, the agouti (a large rodent weighing up to 5 kg), has teeth sharp enough to penetrate the extremely hard shell and access the seeds needed for new tree growth. This phenomenon, where bees, trees, and rodents rely on one another for survival, demonstrates the complexity of these rainforests.

Detailed Description

Nuts with traditional use in the Amazon.

Botanical Information

The Brazil nut tree is a beautiful, massive evergreen tree reaching heights of 25–55 meters, crowned with a huge spherical canopy, which makes it one of the largest trees in the Amazon rainforest. The trunk is straight, usually 1–2 meters in diameter, and branchless for about half its height except at the very top. Its bark is grayish and smooth. These trees often live up to 500 years, with some sources suggesting ages of up to 1,000 years.

The leaves are simple, alternate, leathery, entire, 15–40 cm long, and 5–20 cm wide, with an oval shape. The small, greenish-white to pale yellow flowers are unpleasantly fragrant and are grouped in terminal racemes. The fruit is a 10–20 cm diameter spherical capsule with a thick woody shell and a lid at its base. Inside, on a central column, are 12–22 elongated, three-sided seeds (nuts), each 4–5 cm long, with a hard, wrinkled gray shell and a creamy, oily core with an excellent flavor.

Origin and Distribution

The Brazil nut tree is native to what is today Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil, eastern Colombia, eastern Peru, and Bolivia. It is found as scattered trees along riverbanks of the Amazon, Rio Negro, Tapajós, and Orinoco. Today, its natural occurrence spans the Amazonian region of South America—from Colombia, Guyana, and Bolivia, to Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru.

The tree grows in non-flooded but moist lowland soils at elevations of 100–200 meters above sea level. Often, trees grow in groups of 50 or more (gleaned stands). In Brazil, the largest concentrations are found in the Acre, Amazonas, Maranhão, Pará, Mato Grosso, Rondônia, and Amapá regions. It also occurs in Suriname and has been introduced to Southeast Asia. In Brazil, it is illegal to cut down Brazil nut trees, making these trees common outside managed zones, in gardens, fields, yards, along roads, and urban areas. One challenge is that the heavy fruits can be hazardous when they fall, posing risks to pedestrians and cyclists (incidents with falling nuts are reported every year). Brazil nuts do not float and instead sink in water, which can cause urban drainage blockages.

Usage / Dosage

High-quality Brazil nut oil nourishes the skin (thanks to its vitamin content) and is widely used in the cosmetic industry. In South America, Brazil nut extract is popular in cosmetics, shampoos, conditioners, restorative products, and is gaining popularity in the U.S. too.

Products containing Brazil nut oil add shine, strength, reinforce roots, extend hair life, and soften texture. Creams with Brazil nut oil—and eating the nuts regularly—are recommended for moisturizing and softening the skin.

The nuts help keep skin fresh, prevent it from drying out, and leave it smooth, soft, and hydrated. Cold-pressed oil from the nuts can also be used in food or for lubrication (in Europe, most is used for soap production). Because of their high oil content, fresh Brazil nuts can burn like candles when lit. Oil from the nuts is traditionally used by locals for cooking, fuel for lamps, and soap-making.

Curiously, the Brazil nut gene has been used in GMO soybean production for increased yield, but caused allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, marking one of the first reported adverse effects of genetic modification.

Another interesting phenomenon is the 'Brazil nut effect' or 'granular convection,' where the largest particles in a mixture rise to the top while smaller ones settle. This effect can be observed in cereal mixes, muesli, or other mixed nuts. It applies to materials with varying particle sizes but similar densities.

Empty fruit capsules (sometimes called 'monkey pots') may be used as drinking cups, bowls for collecting latex, vessels for holding smoke to repel insects, or in Brazilian traditional medicine as containers for preparing teas to reduce abdominal pain. The wood is medium-heavy, nearly twice as hard as oak.

Brazil nuts are a popular snack and a staple fruit in South America. Indigenous Amazonians call them 'ñá,' in Orinoco they are known as 'juvia' or 'tuka,' and in Europe they are sold as Brazil nuts (mainly exported from the port city of Pará); 'American nuts' or 'chestnuts' are other names.

The nuts are eaten raw as a snack or dietary supplement (as an alternative to almonds, etc.). Whole or ground, they are found in nutrition bars and confections. Soaked nuts may even feed farmed fish. Fresh nuts are sweet, white to creamy on the inside and can keep for several years when uncracked and refrigerated. Once shelled, their high fat content means they spoil quickly. Rancid nuts turn yellow and have a bitter taste.

Brazil nuts also have medicinal uses. Indigenous Amazonian peoples have used Brazil nuts for generations as an excellent means to neutralize free radicals, as a highly nourishing food, and as a calming agent. For centuries, native tribes have relied on them as a significant dietary staple.

The nuts were even used as a form of currency. Amazonian tribes sometimes mix crushed Brazil nuts into porridge. In the Amazon, Brazil nuts are recommended for relieving abdominal pain and digestive disorders. Regular consumption is said to resist liver disease, and topically the oil is believed to repel harmful insects.

Thanks to their very high selenium content, Brazil nuts have been investigated for their potential role in slowing the uncontrolled growth of prostate cancer. One laboratory study even confirmed a partial anticancer effect of selenium. Furthermore, a high intake of methionine in the diet is believed to boost selenium absorption. Folk healers recommend daily Brazil nuts as cancer prevention and report seeing practical health benefits. Selenium is also a well-studied antioxidant.

Note for Allergy Sufferers: For those with nut allergies, caution is advised when consuming Brazil nuts.

Active Compounds

Brazil nuts are highly nutritious, containing about 70% fat, 15% protein, and 7% carbohydrates. They are rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, E, and D, as well as minerals like selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, calcium, and potassium. The main fat components are palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and alpha-linolenic acids; minor components include myristic and stearic acids and phytosterols.

Brazil nuts are the richest natural source of selenium. Their protein content is high in cysteine and methionine (8% and 18%, respectively), along with glutamine, glutamic acid, and arginine. Trace minerals found include antimony, cesium, lanthanum, scandium, and ytterbium.

Recommended Dosage

Consume according to taste and individual tolerance.