How many Brazil nuts does it take to prevent cancer?
Three to six nuts a day are enough to increase your body’s selenium content to cancer-fighting levels. But before you go nuts over Brazil nuts, consider a couple of warnings. First, nuts’ high-fat reputation is well-deserved. Either make sure you cut down on other sources of fat in your diet, or consider taking selenium as a dietary supplement. Check your local pharmacy or health food store. Many multivitamins contain selenium. Second, don’t take too much of a good thing. You probably won’t overdose on selenium with three to six Brazil nuts a day, but you should watch for fatigue, nausea, vomiting, sour-milk breath or loss of nails. If you have these symptoms, stop eating Brazil nuts.
