However, your alerting us to the findings of the high levels of selenium in the nut leading to our higher (and I assume you mean “bad”) cholesterol level is very much appreciated.

I would also assume then, that small amounts of Brasil nuts are a good source of selenium, which we do need in our diets, then. Thank you. I got a lot of information from your other articles too. I appreciate the information.

And RonCam is right in saying that the amount of dietary cholesterol intake (which is generally the GOOD cholesterol, by the way) is not the cause of human HDL or LDL or VLDL or triglyceride levels being off – rather it is our general health that makes us make more HDL or convert it into LDL or VLDL. But since brasil nuts do not contain any cholesterol, it is not an issue here. Getting our omega-3s helps us process cholesterol better too. I mean EPA and DHA (ALA for vegetarians, which we have to convert into EPA and DHA). Omega 9 helps too. Animal and some vegetable fat give us plenty of omega 6. We need to eat fish for the 3 (or take seed oil supplements and convert it) and nuts and olive oil for the 9. So brasil nuts should provide omega 9 which should lower our bad cholesterol and may raise our good cholesterol!

A piece of support that dietary intake of cholesterol does not impact our serum HDL, LDL, VLDL, and triglyceride levels much: Some Vegans have very high bad cholesterol levels!!!! Even though they eat no cholesterol. It’s liver malfunction and over all bad health, like diets that are way out of balance, that cause high bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

“… Brazil nuts have a high level of cholesterol, … and this can increase the risk of heart disease.”

The main source of serum cholesterol is synthesis in the liver. My impression, it’s (a certain type of) serum cholesterol that is a cardiovascular risk factor, rather than dietary cholesterol, barring the few who are in fact, sensitive to dietary cholesterol.

Or, are we still afraid of eggs? ;-)