Brazil nuts should only be eaten in moderation

The test looked at 21 products between 2.99 and 7.98 euros per 200 grams. Eight of them have an organic label. The central result is that in the best case the final mark was awarded “satisfactory”. This went to the products “Farmer’s Snack organic Brazil nuts natural” (for 6.12 euros), “Rapunzel Brazil nuts” (7.98 euros) and “Good & cheap Brazil nuts natural” (2.99 euros).

The reason for the generally poor figures is the contamination of all nuts with radioactive radium. Brazil nuts naturally accumulate significantly more radioactive substances than other foods. According to a report by “ntv”, the trees, which are often very old and up to 60 meters high, have a widely branched root system, which would allow them to absorb substances found in the soil in particularly high concentrations. The Brazil nut tree is native to the Amazon rainforest.

13 products failed the test
13 of the 21 nut packs failed the test at all due to other “poor” or “insufficient” issues. These include the “Alnatura Bio Brazil Nuts”, the “Ener Bio Brazil Nuts” and the “Reformhaus Bio Brazil Nuts”. Brazil nuts, for example, also absorb a lot of barium, which can lead to high blood pressure in humans and affect the functioning of the kidneys. Ten of these values ​​were elevated during the study.

Five packets contained rancid, musty, or chemical-tasting seeds. If you still want to eat Brazil nuts, you should take a maximum of two pieces per day, according to the Ökotest team. With this amount, no one should expect negative consequences for health. In addition, the nuts also provide healthy ingredients such as proteins, vitamins, selenium and minerals. According to the testers, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid Brazil nuts altogether.