Can I rant about Brazil nuts?

[Terabith]

I'm actually feeling really ranty today, but since we have another thread about charged lemonades, and politics is b board rules, I am going to rant about nuts.  

I was just at the grocery store, and the produce section has extra large bags of nuts out for Christmas.  But alongside the bags of hazelnuts (which I never see except at Christmas) and walnuts, there were gigantic bags of Brazil nuts, and nowhere on the bag were there any warning labels.  The nutrition information says the serving size is about three nuts, but nowhere does it say that eating too many Brazil nuts can freaking kill you.  And the number of nuts that can lead to, again, DEATH, is not extraordinary.  It's around 50 nuts for fatality.  And Brazil nuts are very healthy, but you can get into serious trouble eating more than 3 or 4 every couple of weeks.  Which is not a very large number of nuts, and even if someone dutifully noted the serving size of three nuts and stuck to that, they could easily eat three a day and have serious health consequences over time.  This just seems like information that should be plastered all over the bag in bold print.  I mean, I have had fast food wrappers that said, "Do not eat the wrapper," on it, so I really think the bag of nuts should let you know that eating too many of them (and many is a pretty small number; I mean, they're pretty big, so I can't imagine someone eating 50 in a sitting, but people have done WAY stupider things that that) and that the consequences are DEATH, not an upset stomach.  

[fairfarmhand]

Ok I’ve never heard of that, but who eats Brazil nuts? They are imho the dumb filler nut in a mixed bag. They’re annoying to shell and they don’t taste good. Ick. Don’t worry about anyone in my family over dosing on Brazil nuts.

[Innisfree]

Wow. I had no idea. I like Brazil nuts, but I guess it’s just as well there aren’t many in the bags of mixed nuts that we usually get. Off to read more…

[Brittany1116]

Hmm. I have always read to eat 1-3 a day for thyroid health. 

[Terabith]

8 minutes ago, Brittany1116 said:

Hmm. I have always read to eat 1-3 a day for thyroid health. 

It's a toss up and depends on your body size.  They're incredibly healthy, and 1-2 a day is probably okay, but pushing more than that or every single day can have adverse effects depending on how much selenium you eat from other sources.  

But I have a (large) friend who has eaten 12 in a sitting.  He was okay, but it was a one time thing.  But they're a food that is both very, very healthy and also has serious issues at relatively small quantities, and I feel like that information is not commonly available.  I mean, when I eat almonds, I eat around 20 at a time.  Brazil nuts are a lot bigger, but I can imagine people eating too many pretty easily.  It just seems like vital information to not be on the packaging.  

[MEmama]

Weird. I love Brazil nuts, definitely eat more than that. As do my parents--they buy those huge bags from Costco and regularly eat them by the handful. Yum.

Not that I don't believe you, but do you have sources for them being unhealthy?

[Katy]

I’ve heard to eat one a week for something… lowering cholesterol and keeping selenium levels optimal, I think.

[Terabith]

https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2023/01/can-you-overdose-on-nuts?fbclid=IwAR3AjIPogSnu-PWNwh5MASqgz8pquUcwGBrJyvqFQy9YRYyQ50ShAqMlMtA#:~:text=Eating too many Brazil nuts,cardiac arrest and even death

https://www.livestrong.com/article/506436-side-effects-of-brazil-nuts/

[Terabith]

10 minutes ago, MEmama said:

Weird. I love Brazil nuts, definitely eat more than that. As do my parents--they buy those huge bags from Costco and regularly eat them by the handful. Yum.

Not that I don't believe you, but do you have sources for them being unhealthy?

Sorry, not why it didn't quote above.  Put in a couple of sources.  

[Terabith]

9 minutes ago, Katy said:

I’ve heard to eat one a week for something… lowering cholesterol and keeping selenium levels optimal, I think.

Yeah, they're genuinely a superfood for lowering cholesterol, and they're phenomenal for thyroid functioning.  I really should start eating like one every other day.  They supposedly can drop either LDL or triglycerides or both something like 20 points in as little as nine hours, and the effects last something like a month.  Their health benefits are profound.  You just really, really, REALLY have to watch your serving size and not just mindlessly munch on them.   

[cjzimmer1]

30 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

Ok I’ve never heard of that, but who eats Brazil nuts? They are imho the dumb filler nut in a mixed bag. They’re annoying to shell and they don’t taste good. Ick. Don’t worry about anyone in my family over dosing on Brazil nuts.

My selenium was low.  My doctor encouraged me to eat a couple of day to bring up my levels. But then she said or you can take a pill.  So I added another pill to my collection.  I can't imagine having to eat a couple every day for the rest of my life.

[MEmama]

6 minutes ago, Terabith said:

Yeah, they're genuinely a superfood for lowering cholesterol, and they're phenomenal for thyroid functioning.  I really should start eating like one every other day.  They supposedly can drop either LDL or triglycerides or both something like 20 points in as little as nine hours, and the effects last something like a month.  Their health benefits are profound.  You just really, really, REALLY have to watch your serving size and not just mindlessly munch on them.   

Well darn, I find them to be such a treat. We never had them growing up in California (though my dad ate a lot in the south). In fact there are some in my bag of nuts I'm currently mindlessly munching on. I guess I should stop now. 😳

[Terabith]

1 minute ago, MEmama said:

Well darn, I find them to be such a treat. We never had them growing up in California (though my dad ate a lot in the south). In fact there are some in my bag of nuts I'm currently mindlessly munching on. I guess I should stop now. 😳

Feel free to eat them.  They're really healthy.  Just limit yourself to like 2 a day.  

[Laura Corin]

8 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

My selenium was low.  My doctor encouraged me to eat a couple of day to bring up my levels. But then she said or you can take a pill.  So I added another pill to my collection.  I can't imagine having to eat a couple every day for the rest of my life.

I'd rather eat a nut than a pill. Good to know about the dosage though.

[Jaybee]

Huh. I have never heard this. I really like them, but have never bought them/eaten them outside finding one here and there in a can of mixed nuts--which I rarely buy. Thanks for the warning!

[Terabith]

In all fairness, I've never seen a giant bag of like a hundred of Brazil nuts before today.  

[Terabith]

FYI Licorice should also be eaten in moderation because of the chance of death in larger quantities.  

[aug17girl]

Wow. I did not know this. I just bought a package of them because growing up we always had them at Christmas. I've been mindlessly snacking on them all week.

[katilac]

 

1 hour ago, Terabith said:

 It's around 50 nuts for fatality.   

No, not really. 

About 50 Brazil nuts has 5,000 mcg of selenium, which yes, is considered a toxic level. But having selenium toxicity doesn't mean you are going to drop dead. 

In the paper linked below, about 200 people were consuming over 8,000 mcg per day for roughly two weeks. No one died and only one person was hospitalized. This case was due to a supplement having many times more the amount of selenium than was listed on the label. 

In the second case, multiple people, exact number unknown, had been doubling up on a supplement purchased from their chiropractor. The chiropractor spotted in when multiple patients were complaining of symptoms like gastrointestinal distress and hair loss. It was acute selenium toxicity, but again, no one died, and in this case no one was hospitalized. 

Argh, my control key is sticking, but you should be able to easily find it at the NIH.

 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I'm not saying anyone should test the theory, lol, but no need to panic if you've been eating too many. Selenium toxicity has side effects that should have you looking at your diet. 

 

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, Terabith said:

Yeah, they're genuinely a superfood for lowering cholesterol, and they're phenomenal for thyroid functioning.  I really should start eating like one every other day.  They supposedly can drop either LDL or triglycerides or both something like 20 points in as little as nine hours, and the effects last something like a month.    

I did not know this.

So, I am aware of the warning due to super high selenium, but I was not always aware of them. I was doing an elimination diet at one point to see if it would reset some health issues for me. I could eat nuts on it, and I noticed some shelled Brazil nuts at the store and picked them up. I’ve always loved them. Well, I couldn’t stop eating them. I ate handfuls every day for a year, and they would literally make me feel better every time. Then one day I couldn’t stand the thought of eating any. It turned off like a switch. I had bags and bags in the fridge bought in bulk (they are relatively expensive in that quantity). 

Now I eat some now and then like a normal person.

I wish I had had a doctor at the time who would’ve given a crap and done labs—I must have been massively missing some key stuff. The elimination diet did reset some things, and to my surprise, I could no longer tolerate gluten afterwards, so I assume that I had a major case of malabsorption of nutrients and leaky gut.

So, if so find that are eating a ton of these (or really anything else with zero self-control)…see if your doctor will run labs.

Imagine how stunned I was to find out that I theoretically should’ve gotten very sick on them instead of feeling better, lol!

[Terabith]

I only learned about this from watching House, and then googling to see if the show was lying.  I'm not some medical crackerjack.  I just like trivia.

[Grace Hopper]

Yes, folks all over social media tout the benefits of Brazil nuts. I eat one or two every week or so, when I think about it. I keep them in the freezer because I go through a bag so slowly I’m worried they’ll go rancid. 
 

eta I’ve never been in danger of eating too many, I don’t like the taste all that much, but I remember when my folks would have card parties and serve bowls of mixed nuts, seems like there were quite a few in there. I also remember my mom getting them in the shell and cracking them to eat them. 

Edited December 16, 2023 by Grace Hopper

[MercyA]

I love you guys.

[73349]

Related seasonal PSA: Nutmeg is toxic in large quantities. It has a strong flavor, so that tends to be self-limiting, but don't use it by the tablespoon.

 

#themoreyouknow

[PeterPan]

4 hours ago, Terabith said:

and not just mindlessly munch on them.   

Have you tried them yet? I only eat them when I'm some be healthy binge. They rank right with kale for me. Actually they're lower than kale, because kale I actually eat somewhat frequently as long as it's covered in some kind of sauce. Brazil nuts are more like eating raw tree bark, just devoid of joy in texture or flavor. I'd rather just take a vitamin pill to get my selenium, mercy.

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, 73349 said:

Related seasonal PSA: Nutmeg is toxic in large quantities. It has a strong flavor, so that tends to be self-limiting, but don't use it by the tablespoon.

 

#themoreyouknow

So you're saying if I eat the ENTIRE PAN of apple bake by myself I die?? Then fine, I die happy.

[*****]

 I take 2 a day to keep up my selenium levels. They are kind of creamy and having a few for breakfast with a fruit or veggie shake helps me feel full. But I've never seen them in a huge bag. If they were a good price, even better!

Regarding warnings (well, ones that seem like common sense, like your fast food wrapper below). Our pool still has the warning sign that was put up once things started to open up after covid: Warning, remove mask before swimming!  (With a picture of the blue medical mask, not a swimming mask.)🤪   I'm sure they don't realize it's still there, but I was always like, duh, do we really need that warning?!

4 hours ago, Terabith said:

This just seems like information that should be plastered all over the bag in bold print.  I mean, I have had fast food wrappers that said, "Do not eat the wrapper," on it,

 

[fairfarmhand]

3 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Have you tried them yet? I only eat them when I'm some be healthy binge. They rank right with kale for me. Actually they're lower than kale, because kale I actually eat somewhat frequently as long as it's covered in some kind of sauce. Brazil nuts are more like eating raw tree bark, just devoid of joy in texture or flavor. I'd rather just take a vitamin pill to get my selenium, mercy.

TREE BARK! 
 

YES! Exactly how I feel about Brazil nuts.

[Terabith]

2 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Have you tried them yet? I only eat them when I'm some be healthy binge. They rank right with kale for me. Actually they're lower than kale, because kale I actually eat somewhat frequently as long as it's covered in some kind of sauce. Brazil nuts are more like eating raw tree bark, just devoid of joy in texture or flavor. I'd rather just take a vitamin pill to get my selenium, mercy.

No, I don’t think I have ever eaten one, but I’m not sure if the ldl lowering effect is the selenium or something else, and that’s what I’m mostly interested in. I’m already taking synthroid; I don’t want cholesterol meds for my cholesterol. (I have already tried all the other lifestyle things.)

[PeterPan]

Just now, Terabith said:

No, I don’t think I have ever eaten one,

Well have fun. 🤣 I think one is supposed to have the equivalent protein of an egg, so they're very potent, very powerful little things. A normal serving would be 2-3. Any more and you'd gag and keel over; they're very filling. 

Now CASHEWS, those I could eat a lot of, oh my. With chocolate, without chocolate. My dh found these cashews with caramel and chocolate, which made them quite dangerous.

[alisoncooks]

What?! I loved getting Brazil nuts in my Christmas stocking. They are such a pain to crack/pick, so I guess that’s a natural deterrent to eating too many. 

[Innisfree]

38 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

TREE BARK! 
 

YES! Exactly how I feel about Brazil nuts.

I wonder if Brazil nuts are like cilantro, tasting very different to different people depending on their olfactory receptor genes. They’ve always been some of my favorite nuts, and I haven’t met a nut that I don’t like.

https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap-to-some-people

[marbel]

I loved Brazil nuts when I was a kid; they were my favorite when we'd get the bag of mixed nuts in the shell. I'd been noticing them in stores lately but hadn't bought due to expense. Now I wonder if I'd still like them. They definitely were not like tree bark to me.  

 

[PeterPan]

31 minutes ago, Innisfree said:

I wonder if Brazil nuts are like cilantro, tasting very different to different people depending on their olfactory receptor genes. They’ve always been some of my favorite nuts, and I haven’t met a nut that I don’t like.

https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap-to-some-people

The texture is the issue. 

[Innisfree]

5 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

The texture is the issue. 

To me the texture seems almost creamy, like macadamia nuts. There’s a high oil content, so they seem rich. Delectable, when roasted and salted.

How does the texture seem to those of you who don’t like them?

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, Innisfree said:

To me the texture seems almost creamy, like macadamia nuts. There’s a high oil content, so they seem rich. Delectable, when roasted and salted.

How does the texture seem to those of you who don’t like them?

Like ground up tree bark. I was eating them raw, not roasted/salted. I suppose if you eat them roasted and salted they'd be different. I like cashews raw, other nuts raw. How do you get them roasted? Some kind of trail mix or nut mixture? I've only eaten them raw. I think maybe I had them once in a can of mixed nuts around the holidays, something that appeared in the house. The nutritionist wanted me eating the nuts raw (and unsalted), so I always defer to raw.

Edited December 17, 2023 by PeterPan

[lauraw4321]

They taste burnt to me. I’ve never like them but had no idea about the overdose potential. 

[fairfarmhand]

6 minutes ago, lauraw4321 said:

They taste burnt to me. I’ve never like them but had no idea about the overdose potential. 

Burnt and bitter.  And they are SUPER annoying to try to shell.

[ScoutTN]

Is this really a significant danger? Do many (any) people go to hospital or die from Brazil nut poisoning? 

[AmandaVT]

34 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Like ground up tree bark. I was eating them raw, not roasted/salted. I suppose if you eat them roasted and salted they'd be different. I like cashews raw, other nuts raw. How do you get them roasted? Some kind of trail mix or nut mixture? I've only eaten them raw. I think maybe I had them once in a can of mixed nuts around the holidays, something that appeared in the house. The nutritionist wanted me eating the nuts raw (and unsalted), so I always defer to raw.

Yes!! They almost hurt my teeth to chew, and I don't have super sensitive teeth. There's something so off-putting about the texture- ground up tree bark is a great descriptor.

[Terabith]

1 minute ago, ScoutTN said:

Is this really a significant danger? Do many (any) people go to hospital or die from Brazil nut poisoning? 

No.  But I don't really think people dying from eating the packaging that fast food comes in is either, and my wrapper says, "Do not eat wrapper" all over it.  Brazil nut packages seem like they should at least have that much of a warning.

[Innisfree]

39 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

How do you get them roasted? Some kind of trail mix or nut mixture

In a canister of roasted and salted nuts, like the Planters mixtures. We tend to get the deluxe one as a Christmas treat, but we also have the bags of (presumably raw) mixed nuts in the shell. I haven’t found any that were unpleasant, though perhaps some could go rancid. We’ll actually be getting into some bags of nuts in the shell tomorrow, so I’ll have to check out the Brazil nuts. I know I’ve eaten them all my life , and enjoyed them both roasted and straight out of the shell. 

https://www.amazon.com/Planters-Mixed-Nuts-Deluxe-Ounce/dp/B008VSYV30/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?crid=2IRV1SZX2EELK&keywords=planters+deluxe+salted+mixed+nuts&qid=1702781254&sprefix=Planters+delux+%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-8

Edited December 17, 2023 by Innisfree

[Brittany1116]

I get mine from the health food store bulk bin. We have had burnt-tasting hard ones, and creamy smooth ones. I figure it's the variety, origin, or age that is making the difference. 

[*****]

Trader Joe's has a great variety of nuts (shelled).  I buy them this way and they taste fine. I wonder if they taste fresher/different when you have to shell them yourself.

[SKL]

I'm sure I ate more than that number of Brazil Nuts as a kid, and I did not die.

I'm skeptical.

[frogger]

11 hours ago, Terabith said:

https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2023/01/can-you-overdose-on-nuts?fbclid=IwAR3AjIPogSnu-PWNwh5MASqgz8pquUcwGBrJyvqFQy9YRYyQ50ShAqMlMtA#:~:text=Eating too many Brazil nuts,cardiac arrest and even death

https://www.livestrong.com/article/506436-side-effects-of-brazil-nuts/

Had no idea. Learn something new everyday. 

[Laura Corin]

7 hours ago, Innisfree said:

I wonder if Brazil nuts are like cilantro, tasting very different to different people depending on their olfactory receptor genes. They’ve always been some of my favorite nuts, and I haven’t met a nut that I don’t like.

https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap-to-some-people

Yes. I like Brazil nuts along with all other nuts.

Any toxicity message definitely hasn't been communicated here  - you can get chocolate covered shelled Brazil nuts, which are an invitation to keep munching.  Delicious. 

By the way,  I buy Brazil nuts to discourage deforestation 

https://www.wwf.org.br/?26235/The-Brazil-nut-tree-grandiose-and-threatened#:~:text=Brazil nut trees require an,nut trees bear no fruit.

Edited December 17, 2023 by Laura Corin

[wathe]

This thread has piqued my interest.

I can't find even a single case report describing selenium toxicity from eating brazil nuts having actually happened.

Lots of data on selenium content of brazil nuts.  And lots of data about selenium toxicity in general.  A few reports of selenium toxicity from supplements.  One report of selenium toxicity in China from a foraged high-selenium diet eaten during a drought with rice crop failure. One report of selenium toxicity in rats from being fed enormous amounts of brazil nut meal.  But no reports of actual cases of selenium toxicity from eating brazil nuts in humans, never mind accidental toxicity from snacking.  Maybe I'm messing up my search, but I'm usually pretty good at this.

I'm not too worried about it.

Edited December 17, 2023 by wathe

[Ausmumof3]

Pretty sure I’ve eaten more than that. Our soil is quite selenium deficient here so supplementing is sometimes necessary for livestock, and also people.

[kbutton]

17 hours ago, Innisfree said:

I wonder if Brazil nuts are like cilantro, tasting very different to different people depending on their olfactory receptor genes. They’ve always been some of my favorite nuts, and I haven’t met a nut that I don’t like.

https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap-to-some-people

Or maybe if your selenium is at a good or high level, they are off-putting?

17 hours ago, Innisfree said:

To me the texture seems almost creamy, like macadamia nuts. There’s a high oil content, so they seem rich. Delectable, when roasted and salted.

Yes. Kind of like dried coconut.

15 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

Burnt and bitter.  And they are SUPER annoying to try to shell.

Most nuts are bitter if they are too old.