Are Brazil Nuts Good for PMS?
Partly: brazil nuts can contribute selenium to a balanced diet during PMS if eaten sparingly, but they are not proven to relieve PMS symptoms.
Are brazil nuts a good choice for PMS?
Brazil nuts are a food, not an established PMS treatment. They provide selenium, a mineral the body needs, but getting selenium from brazil nuts has not been shown to reduce cramps, bloating, breast tenderness or mood changes before a period.
If you enjoy them, an occasional brazil nut can be part of a varied diet. Because their selenium content is unusually high and variable, more is not necessarily better. For a broader approach to eating during this time, see the best foods for PMS.
How might brazil nuts work during PMS?
Selenium helps the body make proteins involved in thyroid function and protection against oxidative damage. Brazil nuts also provide fat and some protein, which makes them a nutrient-containing food rather than a targeted remedy.
That nutritional role does not establish a mechanism for relieving PMS. PMS involves symptoms that occur in relation to the menstrual cycle, and there is no established reason to expect selenium from brazil nuts to correct the changes associated with those symptoms.
A person who needs more selenium may benefit from meeting their nutritional needs, but that is different from saying extra selenium improves PMS. Brazil nuts are not necessary to meet those needs; selenium is also found in a variety of other foods.
What is the evidence for brazil nuts and PMS?
No studies are listed in the evidence provided that test whether eating brazil nuts improves PMS. There is therefore no established effective amount, timing or duration for using brazil nuts to manage PMS symptoms.
The fact that brazil nuts contain selenium is not clinical evidence that they relieve PMS. A useful study would need to compare symptoms in people eating brazil nuts with symptoms in a suitable comparison group; without that evidence, any symptom benefit remains unproven.
PMS symptoms can vary from cycle to cycle. Feeling better after eating brazil nuts does not necessarily mean the nuts caused the improvement. If symptoms are bothersome, tracking their timing and severity can give a healthcare professional useful information.
How can you use brazil nuts safely during PMS?
If you like brazil nuts, consider having one occasionally as part of a meal or snack rather than eating a daily handful. This is a cautious food suggestion, not a dose shown to work for PMS or a guarantee that your selenium intake will stay below the upper limit.
Selenium levels in brazil nuts vary with where they are grown. A single nut may provide more than an adult's daily requirement, and a few exceptionally selenium-rich nuts could exceed the upper limit. You generally cannot tell the selenium content of an individual nut by looking at it.
| US selenium reference | Amount |
|---|---|
| Recommended daily intake for adults who are not pregnant or breastfeeding | 55 micrograms per day |
| Upper limit for adults, including those who are pregnant or breastfeeding | 400 micrograms per day |
The upper limit is not a goal. It applies to selenium from all sources combined, including food and supplements. If you take a multivitamin or selenium supplement, check its label and discuss your total intake with a healthcare professional before making brazil nuts a regular habit.
For another aspect of everyday comfort and hydration, see the best drinks for PMS.
Who should be careful with brazil nuts?
Avoid brazil nuts if you have a tree-nut allergy. If eating them causes trouble breathing, throat swelling or faintness, seek emergency care; those can be signs of a severe allergic reaction.
Too much selenium over time can cause problems such as hair loss and brittle nails. Nausea, diarrhea or a metallic or garlic-like taste or breath can also occur with excess selenium. These symptoms have other possible causes, so contact a healthcare professional or local poison control service if you think you have consumed too much rather than trying to diagnose the cause yourself.
Children have lower selenium upper limits than adults, so ask a pediatric healthcare professional before offering brazil nuts regularly. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your clinician or a dietitian about your total selenium intake, especially if you take a supplement.
See a healthcare professional if symptoms repeatedly disrupt work, school, sleep or relationships, or if they are severe or different from your usual pattern. Seek urgent help for thoughts of self-harm, and seek prompt medical attention for sudden severe pelvic pain or unusually heavy bleeding.
Frequently asked questions
Should I eat brazil nuts at a particular point in my cycle?
There is no established timing for eating brazil nuts to relieve PMS. If you choose to eat them, keep their variable selenium content in mind throughout the month.
Does roasting brazil nuts make them more effective for PMS?
There is no evidence that roasting brazil nuts makes them a PMS treatment. Roasted brazil nuts still contribute selenium, so portion caution remains important.