10 Proven Health Benefits of Cashews That You Need to Know About

1 – Are cashews fattening?

Any food eaten in excessive quantities can result in weight gain, and cashews and other nuts need to be eaten in moderation because nuts are high in fat.

Despite the fat in cashews and other nuts, clinical trials and epidemiologic studies indicate that eating nuts frequently is not likely to lead to obesity and eating cashew nuts could even help with weight loss.¹

In one study that examined the diets of 8,865 men and women over 28 months, it was revealed that individuals eating 2 or more portions of nuts every week had a 31% reduced risk of weight gain in comparison to those who did not or hardly ever ate nuts.²

Roasting cashew nuts

Research has also suggested that only about 84% of the calories in cashews is digested and absorbed by the human body.³ Raw cashew nuts are recommended as the amount of calories absorbed by the body is increased when eating roasted cashews.

Nutritional value of cashews per 100g:

How many calories in cashew nuts – 553
How much protein in cashew nuts – 18g
How many carbs in cashew nuts – 30g
What is the fat content of cashew nuts – 44g

2 – Are cashews good for depression?

Cashews are a good source of the essential amino acid L-tryptophan, which is needed to produce serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has been shown to affect mood. Research has also shown that tryptophan depletion can result in depression.⁴

There is however no scientific evidence that “two handfuls” of cashews are just as effective as a prescribed dose of Prozac, as reported by some websites and popular memes in the search results.

How do cashews grow?

The cashew nut is actually a seed from the cashew fruit known as a cashew apple. The juice of the cashew apple (suco de caju) is one of the most popular juices all over Brazil.

3 – Are cashews good for diabetes?

The results of a study have suggested that cashews could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The study showed that cashew nut extract is beneficial for controlling blood sugar, which reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Anacardic acid, the active component in cashew nuts, stimulates glucose transport, resulting in elevated glucose uptake, thus reducing the amount of sugar circulating in the bloodstream.

Cashews also may enhance glycolysis (metabolism of sugar into energy) which also contributes to increased glucose uptake.⁵

Other epidemiologic studies have associated nut consumption with a reduced risk of diabetes.

4 – Are cashews good for heart health?

Epidemiologic research has linked nut intake with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease.⁶ Interventional studies have consistently shown that nut consumption reduces cholesterol, and there’s growing evidence of the benefits on inflammation, oxidative stress, as well as vascular reactivity, a vital component of blood vessel function.

Stomach fat, the metabolic syndrome and blood pressure also seem to be positively influenced by the consumption of nuts. It is thus clear that nuts have a beneficial impact on a number of cardiovascular risk factors.

Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts, and although they have a total fat content of 46%, the fatty acid composition is beneficial because the saturated fatty acid content is low (4-16%) and nearly 66% of the unsaturated fat is oleic acid, a heart healthy MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid).

5 – Are cashews good for the bones?

Cashews are a great source of copper, magnesium and zinc, 3 minerals that play a part in bone health.⁷

Zinc is an essential mineral necessary for mineralization of bone and normal synthesis of collagen, which is the main component of connective tissue and is found abundantly in bones.

Dietary copper deficiency has been shown to cause bone defects and osteoporosis. Magnesium is mitogenic (causes cell division) in osteoblasts (the major cellular component of bone) and magnesium depletion inhibits cellular growth.

6 – Are cashews good for the immune system?

Cashew nuts are a good source of zinc, which plays a vital role in the strengthening of the immune system against microbial infections.⁸

A zinc deficiency can compromise immune system function, as zinc is important for immune system cell development.

Zinc deficiency is associated with elevated inflammation and zinc supplementation has been shown to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of the common cold.

7 – Are cashews good for blood pressure?

The magnesium in cashews can help with blood pressure regulation.

Magnesium reduces risk of hypertension, and may also reduce blood pressure in individuals having high blood pressure.⁹

A review of studies of revealed that incorporating cashews into your diet can help improve systolic and diastolic blood pressure.¹⁰

8 – Are cashews good for cholesterol?

Cashew nuts are cholesterol-free, and they contain sizeable amounts of phytosterols. Phytosterols interfere with cholesterol absorption and thus help lower blood cholesterol when present in sufficient amounts in the intestinal lumen.

In all probability the phytosterol content of nuts contributes to their cholesterol-lowering effect.

Some studies have associated consumption of cashew nuts to higher HDL cholesterol levels and lower LDL cholesterol levels.¹¹¹²

9 – Are cashews good for the eyes?

Cashews contain lutein and zeaxanthin, 2 important nutrients for eye health that could reduce risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.

Zeaxanthin is an antioxidant pigment absorbed directly by the retina, which forms a layer that protects the retina against harmful UV rays.

10 – Are cashews good for gallstones?

In a large prospective study of 80,718 women from the Nurses’ Health Study who had no history of gallstone disease, it was revealed that frequent nut consumption is associated with a reduced risk of developing gallstones.¹³

Nutrients in cashews

Cashew nuts are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats. They’re also a fantastic source of numerous minerals, such as copper, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc. Cashews are also a great source of biotin and protein. The juice of the cashew apple has 200-220 mg of Vitamin C per 100 ml, and various other valuable micro-nutrients.

Where do cashews grow?

The cashew tree originated in Brazil. Portuguese explorers introduced cashew into other tropical regions in the sixteenth century. Today, the leading commercial producers of cashew nuts are Brazil, India, Mozambique, Nigeria and Tanzania.