Cashews are a kind of nut that has a soft texture and a sweet taste. They originated in South America, specifically Brazil, and were brought to Africa and India by colonists. They are the world’s leading cashew farmers today. Cashews have recently become a part of the production of dairy substitutes. Like most nuts, they can benefit your overall health. They have a link to weight reduction, better blood sugar regulation, and a healthy heart. Fresh or roasted cashews, salted or unsalted, are all accessible.

To see if cashews are healthy for you, we will examine their nutrition, advantages, and drawbacks.

What is the cashew nut?

The cashew grows oddly, although it is a genuine nut rather than a legume. The tree produces a tremendous crop of cashew apples, which are pear-shaped fruits with a cashew-shaped husk that develops from the bottom of the fruit. The fruit is delicious and nutritious, and the tree is often cultivated solely for it. The nut and its husk are the tree’s original fruit from a botanical standpoint. Despite its delicious flesh, the cashew apple is only a strangely swollen seed stem.

A defensive film of highly poisonous, caustic acidic liquid lies between the husk and the delicious nut inside. It’s called cashew oil, even though it’s not sticky, which is just another irony of this strange nut. The nuts become roasted commercially in a pan or cylinder with drain holes to enable the poisonous liquid to drain away. Finally, the nuts and shells undergo separation, followed by removing the inside husk, leaving only the edible nut.

The Nutritional Facts of Cashews

According to health authorities, an ounce of cashews contains:

• Protein: 5.2g
• Sugars: 1.7g
• Fiber: 0.9g
• Carbohydrates: 8.6g
• Sodium: 3.4mg
• Fat: 12g
• Calories: 157

An ounce (about 18 nuts) of cashew nuts equals one serving. This one serving has 157 calories and carbohydrate content of just less than 9 grams. Furthermore, starch makes up the majority of the carbohydrate in cashews. The remainder is sugar, with just a slight amount of fiber.

Fat accounts for the majority of the calories in cashews. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats make up the majority of this nutrient. Unsaturated fats are arguably the healthiest kind of fat. A serving of cashews often contains around 2.2 grams of less-healthy saturated fat.

Furthermore, each serving of cashew nuts contains just over 5 grams of protein. As a contrast, cashews have fewer proteins than peanuts, which have more than 7 grams per serving.

Vitamin K is also a part of cashew nuts. When you eat cashews, you’ll get thiamin and vitamin B6 as well.

Cashews for bodybuilding

Cashews are a good source of zinc and iron and an excellent source of magnesium, manganese, copper, and phosphorus. These nuts have a healthy amount of protein per serving that can help you obtain your daily goals. But some individuals still worry over cashew’s calories. They believe that a simple handful of nuts could finish their caloric limit for the day. Even though this is partly true for people cutting down on fat levels, it isn’t universally applicable.

People who are trying to build muscle need a higher number of calories per day. Cashews can be one of the best ways to do that since they provide your daily calories in a small serving. As a result, you won’t feel bloated while trying to meet your caloric needs with other food.

Cashews for weight loss

Magnesium, found in cashew nuts, is essential for fat and carbohydrate metabolism, which can help you lose weight. Cashews are a decent source of protein, which is necessary for weight loss.

While nuts are high in calories, regularly eating the right amount will help you lose weight. Make a trail mix with roasted and salted cashews and eat a few every day. To quickly lose weight, remember to combine these nuts with a balanced diet and physical exercises.

Cashews for heart health

People who are at risk of heart disease may reduce their risk by consuming a cashew-containing diet.

According to research, eating these nuts will help you with the following:

• Reduces the triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, which play a significant role in plaque formation in the arteries.
• Improvement in the health of the epithelial lining of the aortae.
• Lower inflammation levels have a relation to a lower risk of heart failure.
• Reduces the chances of creating a blood clot, which can cause a heart attack and death.

Cashews for cancer prevention

At any point in their lives, 30% of women and half of men will develop cancer. One of the simplest things people can do to lower their cancer risk is to eat cashews daily. Proanthocyanidins are a form of flavonol found in cashews. Proanthocyanidins were shown in studies to prevent cancerous cells from reproducing and starve the tumor. Also, cashews have large amounts of copper that can eliminate free radicals in your body. When free radicals build up in large quantities, they can increase the risk of cancers.

Cashew allergies

Even though this crunchy nut is appealing to everyone, some people may be allergic to it. Therefore, any accidental consumption could spell trouble.

Cashew allergies are often related to severe and often deadly complications. It’s critical to comprehend the allergy’s signs and risk factors.

A cashew allergy ordinarily manifests itself within hours of being exposed to this nut. Symptoms may appear hours after exposure in rare cases.

A severe reaction, which may involve a whole body, is a fatal cause of a cashew allergy. The airways, skin, gut, and heart are all affected by anaphylaxis. 

Using cashews as flour

Cashew flour is a plain, one-ingredient alternative to all-purpose flour. This benefit not only means it’s simple to make at home, but it also means there was no harmful processing or extra ingredients added, making it a pure and healthier choice that’s also gluten-free.

It’s not difficult at all to make this flour. All you need to do is put the cashews in a blender and process until you have a fine cashew powder. To find some big pieces, sift this powder through a sieve. Return these big pieces to the blender until they are uniform in size and consistency with the other powder.

Cashew flour is appropriate in almost any dish that needs conventional flour.  You can easily replace cashew flour with standard flour in most recipes. For example, if a recipe calls for two cups of all-purpose flour, you can use two cups of cashew flour. When you grow accustomed to the cashew flour, you also might want to test by using different quantities. This experimenting can help you obtain your desired texture.

Final thoughts

Judging from the information mentioned above, the various benefits of cashews are undeniable. Due to the numerous nutrients present in these nuts, cashews are an example of the best foods out there. As long as you aren’t allergic, you can eat cashews and avail all the benefits that will improve your body’s health. You can eat them whole, incorporate them in recipes, or make flour out of them. Regardless of how you use cashews, be sure to remember that moderation is key!