Health Benefits of Cashew Nuts

What are Cashew Nuts?

Cashew is a sweet, creamy and buttery nut, which tastes good raw, roasted or fried. There are many health benefits of cashew nuts and their regular consumption can help many medical conditions.

The cashew tree fruit is known as cashew apple and the seeds that adhere to them are what we know as cashew nuts. This healthy nut is a native of northeastern Brazil but now is grown in many other places across the world.

Health Benefits of Cashew Nuts

Cashew nut is a great source of many important nutrients, which help nourish the body.

Here are some health benefits of cashew nuts.

• Cashew nut is good for heart health. The fat in cashews is in the form of oleic acid, which is good for the heart.

• Cashew nut is also a good source of copper, which is part of several enzymes and helps the body in utilizing iron. Copper is also needed for bone growth, nerve function, soft skin, hair and connective tissues. Copper protects cell membranes from harmful free radicals and act as antioxidant.
• The high magnesium content of cashew nut helps keep the bones healthy. Magnesium also regulates nerves and muscles, normalizes blood pressure, lowers incidence of migraines and helps with sleep disorders linked with menopause. Eating magnesium-rich cashews can also keep your teeth and gums in good health.
• Another great health benefit of cashew nut is its cancer-fighting property. It contains a type of flavonol known as proanthocyanidins, which prevents tumor cells to divide. Flavonol along with the high content of copper can protect against colon cancer and other cancerous cells.
• Cashew nut contains good fat so it can help with weight management. Consuming handful (30gms) of cashew nuts a few times a week can suppress appetite and actually aid weight loss.

Healthy Recipes using Cashew Nuts

You can make many healthy cashew recipes with ease. It is better to use them raw rather than to consume salted cashew nuts in large quantities.

Advertisement

• Melt dark chocolate and add honey to it. Now wrap this thick syrup around cashew nuts and freeze for a few hours. Enjoy this delicious snack when you crave chocolate or sugar. You can vary the flavor using fresh fruit syrup instead of chocolate.
• Soak a handful of cashew nuts for a few hours and grind them into a paste. Now add to it wholegrain bread crumbs, salt, pepper, herbs and coat vegetables like potato, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato and carrot with this cashew paste. Bake and enjoy with some fresh mint chutney or low-fat yogurt dip.

Health Tips

• Use cashew nut butter with wholegrain toast.
• Chop cashew nuts and use it in your salad, breakfast cereal and rice dishes.
• Use cashew nut paste to add thickness and flavor to your vegetable and meat dishes.
• Consume more of roasted cashew nuts rather than fried.
• Soak cashew nuts in water and use in breakfast smoothies and pancakes.