After almonds, cashews are one of the most loved nut varieties in the world with a global market value of more than $8 billion in 2022. Their buttery texture and sweet flavour make them a part of different healthy nut mixes and their inclusion in recipes adds a layer of creaminess to the taste.
Essentially, cashews are a popular choice and like any other nut, people might not think much before consuming a mouthful of them. But is it really healthy to have cashews every day? Here's what the experts say!
What are cashews?
Cashews are tree nuts mostly grown in the tropical climate of Brazil. These nuts are also grown in India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nigeria, and West Africa. Their trees can reach up to 50 feet in height but take at least three years before producing any fruit and eight years before they can be harvested commercially.
What's unique about the process of growing cashews is that these nuts are not grown inside but rather at the bottom of a fruit called the cashew apple. After the fruit is ripe, it is picked from their and dried, cleaned, roasted, peeled, packaged and shipped across the globe.
Cashews and their health benefits
While the world is on a steadfast journey towards health consciousness and the first and foremost way to pursue it is through healthy eating, many mistake eating healthy with eating too much of whatever has been considered healthy. It is important to note that when eaten excessively even healthy food can make the body go into overwork and lead to harm.
Cashews contain over 20gm of protein, more than 4gm of dietary fibre and other nutritious components such as phenolic lipids, squalene, linoleic acid and other bioactive compounds. As per the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they are also rich in calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper, vitamins C, vitamin K, manganese, niacin and folate.
"Together, these help keep you feeling fuller longer and can help stabilise your blood sugar levels," said Kristen Smith, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to USA TODAY. Along with this, they improve immune health, reduce inflammation, prevent blood clotting and improve fertility.
The presence of monounsaturated fats in cashews helps reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and improves heart health, with its mineral content helping strengthen bones. "Cashews also contain lutein, which contributes to eye and skin health," says Christine Palumbo, a registered dietitian and nutrition expert based in Chicago.
Is there anything like too many cashews?
Experts suggest enjoying cashews in moderate amounts. This is because 16-18 cashews provide about 157 calories in one ounce, as per Palumbo. In another glance, a single cup of whole cashews and halves can provide nearly 800 calories, thus highlighting that portion control is key, especially for people on a weight loss journey.
Another harmful effect that excessive consumption of cashews can lead to is kidney stones as they have relatively high oxalate content which enables their formation. A National Library of Medicine study quoted the case of a woman who consumed a can of cashews every two days for their laxative effect, leading to decreased kidney function and oxalate nephropathy due to the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidney tissues.
Essentially, cashews are a popular choice and like any other nut, people might not think much before consuming a mouthful of them. But is it really healthy to have cashews every day? Here's what the experts say!
What are cashews?
Cashews are tree nuts mostly grown in the tropical climate of Brazil. These nuts are also grown in India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nigeria, and West Africa. Their trees can reach up to 50 feet in height but take at least three years before producing any fruit and eight years before they can be harvested commercially.
What's unique about the process of growing cashews is that these nuts are not grown inside but rather at the bottom of a fruit called the cashew apple. After the fruit is ripe, it is picked from their and dried, cleaned, roasted, peeled, packaged and shipped across the globe.
Cashews and their health benefits
While the world is on a steadfast journey towards health consciousness and the first and foremost way to pursue it is through healthy eating, many mistake eating healthy with eating too much of whatever has been considered healthy. It is important to note that when eaten excessively even healthy food can make the body go into overwork and lead to harm.
Cashews contain over 20gm of protein, more than 4gm of dietary fibre and other nutritious components such as phenolic lipids, squalene, linoleic acid and other bioactive compounds. As per the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they are also rich in calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper, vitamins C, vitamin K, manganese, niacin and folate.
"Together, these help keep you feeling fuller longer and can help stabilise your blood sugar levels," said Kristen Smith, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to USA TODAY. Along with this, they improve immune health, reduce inflammation, prevent blood clotting and improve fertility.
The presence of monounsaturated fats in cashews helps reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and improves heart health, with its mineral content helping strengthen bones. "Cashews also contain lutein, which contributes to eye and skin health," says Christine Palumbo, a registered dietitian and nutrition expert based in Chicago.
Is there anything like too many cashews?
Experts suggest enjoying cashews in moderate amounts. This is because 16-18 cashews provide about 157 calories in one ounce, as per Palumbo. In another glance, a single cup of whole cashews and halves can provide nearly 800 calories, thus highlighting that portion control is key, especially for people on a weight loss journey.
Another harmful effect that excessive consumption of cashews can lead to is kidney stones as they have relatively high oxalate content which enables their formation. A National Library of Medicine study quoted the case of a woman who consumed a can of cashews every two days for their laxative effect, leading to decreased kidney function and oxalate nephropathy due to the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidney tissues.
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