# Help me roast my nuts. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-roast-my-nuts/520621 "2009-12-09T19:59:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-roast-my-nuts/520621/1 "2009-12-09T19:59:32Z")
Go crazy on the title, but real advice is welcome also. I occasionally treat myself to a can of Planter’s Deluxe Mixed Nuts. I really like the Brazil nuts, but there are not enough in the can to suit me. I would like to buy some raw shelled Brazil nuts & roast them for snacking. Since Brazil nuts aren’t cheap where I live, I’ll forgo the trial & error & just ask you folks to help me do it right the first time. Be painfully specific on the process & ingredients. Many thanks. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-roast-my-nuts/520621/2 "2009-12-09T20:41:48Z")
Just don’t eat too many Brazil nuts. They contain high levels of selenium, and if you ate a whole lot at one sitting, it could conceivably cause selenosis. (The “tolerable upper intake level” of selenium is 400 mcg, although you’d probably be OK up to maybe 800. An ounce of Brazil nut meat can contain more that 500 mcg.) [http://visualrecipes.com/46/brazil-nuts-radioactive-yet-cancer-fighting/](http://visualrecipes.com/46/brazil-nuts-radioactive-yet-cancer-fighting/) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-roast-my-nuts/520621/3 "2009-12-10T02:54:36Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Just don’t eat too many Brazil nuts. They contain high levels of selenium, and if you ate a whole lot at one sitting, it could conceivably cause selenosis. (The “tolerable upper intake level” of selenium is 400 mcg, although you’d probably be OK up to maybe 800. An ounce of Brazil nut meat can contain more that 500 mcg.) > > [http://visualrecipes.com/46/brazil-nuts-radioactive-yet-cancer-fighting/](http://visualrecipes.com/46/brazil-nuts-radioactive-yet-cancer-fighting/) Now I know I watch too much “House”! I recognized this information from the episode [“Whatever It Takes”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whatever_It_Takes_%28House%29) in which House treated a CIA agent for selenosis. I also learned Brazil nuts are not called that in Brazil, but are called “chestnuts” instead. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-roast-my-nuts/520621/4 "2009-12-10T03:03:47Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Now I know I watch too much “House”! I recognized this information from the episode [“Whatever It Takes”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whatever_It_Takes_%28House%29) in which House treated a CIA agent for selenosis. I also learned Brazil nuts are not called that in Brazil, but are called “chestnuts” instead. Same here. After reading “brazil nuts,” my mind automatically thought “ooh House.” ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-roast-my-nuts/520621/5 "2009-12-10T03:27:09Z")
From Wikipedia > [@](#): > > Brazil nuts also contain small amounts of radioactive radium… > > …Despite the possible health benefits of the nut, the European Union has imposed strict regulations on the import from Brazil of Brazil nuts in their shells, as the shells have been found to contain high levels of aflatoxins, which can lead to liver cancer Wow radiation and OD on selenium and toxins, who knew a simple nut could be so cool 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-roast-my-nuts/520621/6 "2009-12-10T03:55:34Z")
I hear in Brazil, they just call them…ohhh, nevermind, I’ll come in again.