Cashews are a kind of dry fruit that is in kidney shape and are produced from the cashew tree, which is a tropical tree native to a country like Brazil however in present cultivated in different warm climates worldwide. Cashews are generally known as tree nuts and talking about nutritional value, cashews are seeds. They contain an abundance of nutrients and significant plant elements and can be added to various dishes easily. Just like other nuts, cashews are very helpful in improving your health in general. They are associated with factors like weight reduction, healthier heart, and blood sugar control. Let us look at the benefits and adverse effects of cashews to find if they are healthy for you.

Facts and Benefits of Cashews

Nutritional package

Different nutrients are abundant in cashews. 28 grams (1 ounce) of unroasted, raw cashews contains:

• Iron- 11% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Copper- 67% of the DV
• Calories- 157
• Fat- 12 grams
• Thiamine- 10% of the DV
• Zinc- 15% of the DV
• Protein- 5 grams
• Vitamin B6- 7% of the DV
• Selenium- 10% of the DV
• Vitamin K- 7% of the DV
• Fiber- 1 gram
• Magnesium- 20% of the DV
• Phosphorus- 13% of the DV
• Manganese- 20% of the DV
• Carbs- 9 grams

Cashews are known to be high in unsaturated fats. This type of fats is associated with a lesser danger of premature death and coronary illness. Cashews are a type of fiber, contains a low level of sugar and has a similar quantity of proteins as compared to cooked meat. Further, they carry a good quantity of copper, a mineral important for energy making, healthy brain growth, and a powerful immune system. Magnesium and manganese are such nutrients essential for bone strength and are found in cashews also.

Carry important plant compounds

Nuts and seeds are known as antioxidant powerhouses. Similarly, cashews come under the same category. Antioxidants are essential plant elements that maintain a healthy body in such a way by neutralizing harm-creating molecules called free radicals. On the other hand, this aids in decreasing inflammation and enhances the individual body’s capability to maintain distance from disease and keep healthy. Cashews are good food products of carotenoids and polyphenols. These categories of antioxidants are also available in different tree nuts. Researches associate antioxidants present in nuts such as pecans, walnuts, and almonds to diminish the stages of oxidative cell harm. As they have the same antioxidant component, cashews might increase the hope of giving identical oxidation-fighting profits. Roasted cashews provide higher antioxidant action in comparison to raw cashews. All said, there is still a need for more researches based on cashews to provide evidence supported conclusions. 

Weight loss

Calories and fat are found in abundance in nuts. Thus, it has been advised to people who are planning to reduce their weight to have a controlled quantity of nuts included in their eating regimen. But over the years, the studies have initiated to associate nut-containing diet to better weight reduction and complete decrease of body fat as compared to nut-less diets. This can be justified in such a way that cashews helps the body by giving lesser calories than one imagined. As per the database of  Food Data Central of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), cashews contribute 157 calories in 28 grams ( 1 ounce) portion. But in the researches, it was discovered that the human body is capable of digesting and taking 84% of the said calories. This is because a part of the fat they carry stay caged along with the cashew’s fibrous wall and does not get absorbed at the time of digestion. 

In contrast, grinding or roasting nuts might improve your body’s capability to entirely absorb them, which in result improves the quantity of calories taken. In conclusion, weight reduction profits might be most powerful for entire, raw cashews, even though there is a need for more research to justify this. And further, you will be compromising the antioxidant profit which tags along with roasting cashews. 

Adding to giving lesser calories than hoped, nuts are likewise protein and fiber-rich, also considered to decrease food craving and gives the feeling of fullness, which cumulatively helps in weight reduction.  

Healthier heart

Eating habits high in nuts, inclusive of cashews, have been associated with a lower danger of illness like a heart attack or disease with years. One study discovered that individuals having type 2 diabetes who took 10% of the everyday calories sourced from cashews to experience low LDL (bad) cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol as compared to those who consumed no cashews whatsoever. From low LDL to HDL units are generally seen as an indication of a healthier heart.

Two different examinations interface cashew nut utilization to higher HDL cholesterol levels and decreased blood pressure, just as bringing down aggregate and LDL cholesterol levels. 

In any case, an ongoing audit shows clashing outcomes. One of the included investigations recommends that standard admission of cashews may bring down blood pressure as well as triglyceride levels. Be that as it may, it finds no impact on aggregate, LDL, or HDL cholesterol levels. Likewise, another audit neglected to locate any noteworthy changes in cholesterol or even triglyceride levels following the utilization of 1–3.8 ounces (28–108 grams) of cashews every day for 4–12 weeks. 

Analysts propose that these conflicting outcomes might be because of the set number of studies and their little member sizes. They infer that in spite of the fact that cashews are similarly prone to profit heart health as different nuts, more exploration is expected to affirm this. There additionally might be contrasting dependent on whether members in these investigations replaced progressively undesirable snacks with cashews or just added cashews to their present eating designs.

Benefits type 2 diabetes

There are chances that individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes might profit from including cashews to their daily eating habits. That is because cashews are known as an excellent source of fibre, which is a nutrient that aids to prevent a sudden increase in blood sugar and is known to provide preservation from type 2 diabetes. The studies researching on the relation between cashews and blood sugar level is constrained. But in another study, individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes who consumed 10%  calories on everyday basis sourced from cashews had a complete decrease of insulin levels, an indicator of blood sugar balance, as compared to those people who had no cashews. 

Further, cashews carry only 8 grams of net carbs every portion, out of this 2 grams is taken from sugars. Net carbs allude to the aggregate sum of carbs in a food, less the measure of fiber it contains — giving an incentive to the net measure of carbs that your body can retain. Substituting nourishments higher in net carbs and sugar with cashews is probably going to help lessen glucose levels. All things considered, more examination is expected to inspect the impacts of cashew-rich weight control plans in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Easily added to the diet

Cashews are exceptionally simple to add to your eating routine. They can be eaten crude or roasted, and make for an easy portable snack. Whole or ground cashews can likewise be joined into an assortment of dishes, going from mixed tofu and stir-fries to soup, servings of mixed greens, and stews. Cashew butter is another approach to add cashews to your eating routine. Spread it on toast or mix it into yogurt or oatmeal cereal. You can likewise process cashew butter along with oats and your preferred dried fruit to cause custom made, to bake-less energy balls. 

Cashews can likewise be soaked and mixed along with apple cider vinegar or even lemon juice to make one’s own without dairy sour cream or cream cheese. Utilize these to add flavor to suppers or make without dairy versions of your preferred pastries. Simply remember that various roasted and salted cashews can carry important measures of included oils and salt. In the event that you will probably restrict overabundance salt or included fats, consider picking dry roasted or crude unsalted cashew assortments at whatever point conceivable.

Adverse effects of cashews

Cashews are commonly a protected expansion to a great many people’s weight control plans. Remember that roasted or salted cashews can carry significant levels of added salt or oils. Hence, it might be ideal to settle on unsalted dry-roasted or crude assortments. Some examination proposes that roasted cashews may carry more significant levels of health-advancing antioxidants than crude cashews. Consider cooking crude cashews yourself at home without additional oils. To do as such, just spread your crude cashews in a single layer on a preparing plate. At that point, dry roast them at 350°F (188°C) on the center rack of your stove for a time of 8–15 minutes. Make sure to mix the cashews in 3–5-minute stretches to abstain from burning. On the other hand, hurl your cashews in a skillet over medium warmth for 3–5 minutes, or until the cashews become marginally brown in appearance. 

Besides, cashews carry phytates which can make it progressively hard for your body to assimilate the nutrients and minerals they ought to give. Soaking your nuts for the time being before adding them to dishes will help decrease their phytate content and provide their better digestion. At last, cashews are named tree nuts. Accordingly, individuals oversensitive to tree nuts, for example, almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, or hazelnuts, may have a higher danger of likewise having cashews allergy.

Conclusion

Cashews are nutrients rich in fibre, healthy fats, and proteins. They further carry a vast number of minerals and vitamins and health-maintaining important plant compounds. Same as nuts, cashews might enhance weight reduction, blood sugar balance, and a healthy heart. Still, there is a need for more researches on cashews as compared to other nuts to provide justification for these benefits. In the end, there might be some downsides to including cashews to your meal. Don’t forget to choose unsalted dry-roasted or crude options if possible.