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Cashews
The delicately flavored cashew nut is a favorite between meal snack that can be
readily found in your local market year round. It also makes wonderful nut butter
and a special addition to salads and stir-fry dishes.
Cashew nuts are actually the kidney-shaped seeds that adhere to the bottom of the cashew apple,
the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil. While
cashew apples are not appreciated in the United States, they are regarded as delicacies in Brazil
and the Caribbean. Cashews are always sold shelled because the interior of the shells contains a
caustic resin, known as cashew balm, which must be carefully removed before the nuts are fit for
consumption. This caustic resin is actually used in industry to make varnishes and insecticides.


This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Cashews provides for each of the
nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating
System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Cashews can be
found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile
for Cashews, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating
System Chart.
Health Benefits
Description
History
How to Select and Store
How to Enjoy
Safety
Nutritional Profile
References
Health Benefits
Heart-Protective Monounsaturated Fats
Not only do cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts, approximately 75% of their
fat is unsaturated fatty acids, plus about 75% of this unsaturated fatty acid content is oleic acid,
the same heart-healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil. Studies show that oleic acid
promotes good cardiovascular health, even in individuals with diabetes. Studies of diabetic
patients show that monounsaturated fat, when added to a low-fat diet, can help to reduce high
triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are a form in which fats are carried in the blood, and high
triglyceride levels are associated with an increased risk for heart disease, so ensuring you have
some monounsaturated fats in your diet by enjoying cashews is a good idea, especially for
persons with diabetes.<BR<>br<
Crazy about Your Heart? Go Nuts
Research published in the British Journal of Nutrition (Blomhoff R, Carlsen MH), which
identified several nuts among plant foods with the highest total antioxidant content, suggests
nut's high antioxidant content may be key to their cardio-protective benefits.
Nuts' high antioxidant content helps explain results seen in the Iowa Women's Health Study in
which risk of death from cardiovascular and coronary heart diseases showed strong and
consistent reductions with increasing nut/peanut butter consumption. Total death rates decreased
11% and 19% for nut/peanut butter intake once per week and 1-4 times per week, respectively.
Even more impressive were the results of a review study of the evidence linking nuts and lower
risk of coronary heart disease, also published in the British Journal of Nutrition. (Kelly JH,
Sabate J.) In this study, researchers looked at four large prospective epidemiological studies-the
Adventist Health Study, Iowa Women's Study, Nurses' Health Study and the Physician's Health
Study. When evidence from all four studies was combined, subjects consuming nuts at least 4
times a week showed a 37% reduced risk of coronary heart disease compared to those who never
or seldom ate nuts. Each additional serving of nuts per week was associated with an average
8.3% reduced risk of coronary heart disease.
Practical Tip: To lower your risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease, enjoy a handful
of cashews or other nuts, or a tablespoon of nut butter, at least 4 times a week.
Copper for Antioxidant Defenses, Energy Production, Bones and
Blood Vessels
An essential component of many enzymes, copper plays a role in a wide range of physiological
processes including iron utilization, elimination of free radicals, development of bone and
connective tissue, and the production of the skin and hair pigment called melanin. For example,
copper is an essential component of the enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which is important in
energy production and antioxidant defenses. Copper is also necessary for the activity of lysyl
oxidase, an enzyme involved in cross-linking collagen and elastin, both of which provide the
ground substance and flexibility in blood vessels, bones and joints. Low dietary intake of copper
may also be associated with increased fecal free radical production and fecal water alkaline
phosphatase activity, risk factors for colon cancer.
Numerous health problems can develop when copper intake is inadequate, including iron
deficiency anemia, ruptured blood vessels, osteoporosis, joint problems such as rheumatoid
arthritis, brain disturbances, elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduced HDL (good)
cholesterol levels, irregular heartbeat, and increased susceptibility to infections. Topping your
morning cereal with a quarter-cup of cashews will supply you with 38.0% of the daily value for
copper.
Bone Up and Relax with Cashews
Everyone knows that calcium is necessary for strong bones, but magnesium is also vital for
healthy bones. About two-thirds of the magnesium in the human body is found in our bones.
Some helps give bones their physical structure, while the rest is found on the surface of the bone
where it is stored for the body to draw upon as needed.
Magnesium, by balancing calcium, helps regulate nerve and muscle tone. In many nerve cells,
magnesium serves as Nature's own calcium channel blocker, preventing calcium from rushing
into the nerve cell and activating the nerve. By blocking calcium's entry, magnesium keeps our
nerves (and the blood vessels and muscles they ennervate) relaxed. If our diet provides us with
too little magnesium, however, calcium can gain free entry, and the nerve cell can become
overactivated, sending too many messages and causing excessive contraction.
Insufficient magnesium can thus contribute to high blood pressure, muscle spasms (including
spasms of the heart muscle or the spasms of the airways symptomatic of asthma), and migraine
headaches, as well as muscle cramps, tension, soreness and fatigue. Given these effects, it is not
surprising that studies have shown magnesium helps reduce the frequency of migraine attacks,
lowers blood pressure, helps prevent heart attacks, promotes normal sleep patterns in women
suffering from menopausal sleep disturbances, and reduces the severity of asthma. Just a quarter-
cup of cashews provides 22.3% of the daily value for magnesium.
Help Prevent Gallstones
Twenty years of dietary data collected on 80,000 women from the Nurses' Health Study shows
that women who eat least 1 ounce of nuts, peanuts or peanut butter each week have a 25% lower
risk of developing gallstones. Since 1 ounce is only 28.6 nuts or about 2 tablespoons of nut
butter, preventing gallbladder disease may be as easy as packing one cashew butter and jelly
sandwich (be sure to use whole wheat bread for its fiber, vitamins and minerals) for lunch each
week, having a handful of cashews as an afternoon pick me up, or tossing some cashews on your
oatmeal or salad.
Eating Nuts Lowers Risk of Weight Gain
Although nuts are known to provide a variety of cardio-protective benefits, many avoid them for
fear of weight gain. A prospective study published in the journal Obesity shows such fears are
groundless. In fact, people who eat nuts at least twice a week are much less likely to gain weight
than those who almost never eat nuts.
The 28-month study involving 8,865 adult men and women in Spain, found that participants who
ate nuts at least two times per week were 31% less likely to gain weight than were participants
who never or almost never ate nuts.
And, among the study participants who gained weight, those who never or almost never ate nuts
gained more (an average of 424 g more) than those who ate nuts at least twice weekly.
Study authors concluded, "Frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of
weight gain (5 kg or more). These results support the recommendation of nut consumption as an
important component of a cardioprotective diet and also allay fears of possible weight gain."
Practical Tip: Don't let concerns about gaining weight prevent you from enjoying the delicious
taste and many health benefits of nuts!
Spread some nut butter on your morning toast or bagel.
Remember how many great childhood lunches involved a peanut butter
and jelly sandwich? Upgrade that lunchbox favorite by spreading organic
peanut butter and concord grape jelly on whole wheat bread.
Fill a celery stick with nut butter for an afternoon pick-me-up.
Sprinkle a handful of nuts over your morning cereal, lunchtime salad,
dinner's steamed vegetables.
Or just enjoy a handful of lightly roasted nuts as a healthy snack.
Description
Cashew nuts are actually seeds that adhere to the bottom of the cashew apple, the fruit of the
cashew tree, which is native to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil. Cashew apples, while not
known in the U.S., are regarded as delicacies in Brazil and the Carribean. The seed we know as
the kidney-shaped cashew "nut" is delicate in flavor and firm, but slightly spongy, in texture.
You have probably noticed that cashews in the shell are not available in stores. This is because
these nuts are always sold pre-shelled since the interior of their shells contains a caustic resin,
known as cashew balm, which must be carefully removed before they are fit for consumption.
This caustic resin is actually used in industry to make varnishes and insecticides.
Cashews, known scientifically as Anacardium occidentale, belong to the same family as the
mango and pistachio nut.
History
The cashew tree is native to coastal areas of Brazil. In the 16th century, Portuguese explorers
took cashew trees from this South American country and introduced them into other tropical
regions such as India and some African countries, where they are now also cultivated. The
cashew tree has always been a prized resource owing to its precious wood, cashew balm and
cashew apple, but the cashew nut itself did not gain popularity until the beginning of the 20th
century. Today, the leading commercial producers of cashews are India, Brazil, Mozambique,
Tanzania and Nigeria.
How to Select and Store
Cashews are generally available in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. Just as with any
other food that you may purchase in the bulk section, make sure that the bins containing the
cashews are covered and that the store has a good product turnover so as to ensure its maximal
freshness. Whether purchasing cashews in bulk or in a packaged container, make sure that there
is no evidence of moisture or insect damage and that they are not shriveled. If it is possible to
smell the cashews, do so in order to ensure that they are not rancid.
Due to their high content of oleic acid, cashews are more stable than most other nuts but should
still be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, where they will keep for about six
months, or in the freezer, where they will keep for about one year. Cashew butter should always
be refrigerated once it is opened.
How to Enjoy
For some of our favorite recipes, click Recipes.
A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Combining cashews with other nuts and dried fruits makes a healthy snack.
Right before taking off the heat, add cashews to healthy sauted vegetables.
Healthy saut cashews with shrimp, basil and green beans for a delightful Thai inspired dish.
Cashews with a little bit of maple syrup make a great topping for hot cereals.
Add cashew butter to breakfast soy or rice milk shakes to up their protein content (a quarter-cup
of cashews provides over 5 grams of protein) and give them a creamy nutty taste.
In a saucepan over low-medium heat, mix cashew butter with some tamari, cayenne pepper,
garlic, ginger and water to make a wonderful sauce for fish, vegetables, tofu or rice.
To roast cashews at home, do so gently--in a 160-170F (about 75C) oven for 15-20 minutes--
to preserve the healthy oils. For more on the effect of high heat roasting on nuts, please see the
following article.
Safety
Cashews and Oxalates
Cashews are among a small number of foods that contain measurable amounts of oxalates,
naturally-occurring substances found in plants, animals, and human beings. When oxalates
become too concentrated in body fluids, they can crystallize and cause health problems. For this
reason, individuals with already existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems may want
to avoid eating cashews. Laboratory studies have shown that oxalates may also interfere with
absorption of calcium from the body. Yet, in every peer-reviewed research study we've seen, the
ability of oxalates to lower calcium absorption is relatively small and definitely does not
outweigh the ability of oxalate-containing foods to contribute calcium to the meal plan. If your
digestive tract is healthy, and you do a good job of chewing and relaxing while you enjoy your
meals, you will get significant benefits-including absorption of calcium-from calcium-rich foods
plant foods that also contain oxalic acid. Ordinarily, a healthcare practitioner would not
discourage a person focused on ensuring that they are meeting their calcium requirements from
eating these nutrient-rich foods because of their oxalate content. For more on this subject, please
see "Can you tell me what oxalates are and in which foods they can be found?"
Nutritional Profile
Cashews are a very good source of monounsaturated fats and copper, and a good source of
magnesium and phosphorus.
For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Cashews.
In-Depth Nutritional Profile
In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, an in-depth nutritional profile for
Cashews is also available. This profile includes information on a full array of nutrients,
including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty
acids, amino acids and more.
Introduction to Food Rating System Chart
In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the
calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the
foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for
which this food is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a
table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not
necessarily mean that the food doesn't contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not
provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this food's
in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as
excellent, very good, or good - please use the link below the chart.) To read this chart accurately,
you'll need to glance up in the top left corner where you will find the name of the food and the
serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient composition. This serving size will tell you
how much of the food you need to eat to obtain the amount of nutrients found in the chart. Now,
returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient
amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density
that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system.
For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are
found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling."
Read more background information and details of our rating system.
Cashews, raw
0.25 cup
34.25 grams
196.60 calories
Nutrient Amount
DV
(%)
Nutrient
Density
World's Healthiest
Foods Rating
copper 0.76 mg 38.0 3.5 very good
magnesium 89.05 mg 22.3 2.0 good
tryptophan 0.07 g 21.9 2.0 good
phosphorus 167.83 mg 16.8 1.5 good
World's Healthiest
Foods Rating Rule
excellent DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10%
very good DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5%
good DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Cashews
References
Bes-Rastrollo M, Sabate J, Gomez-Gracia E, Alonso A, Martinez JA,
Martinez-Gonzalez MA. Nut consumption and weight gain in a
Mediterranean cohort: The SUN study. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007
Jan;15(1):107-16. 2007. PMID:17228038.
Blomhoff R, Carlsen MH, Andersen LF, Jacobs DR Jr. Health benefits of
nuts: potential role of antioxidants. Br J Nutr. 2006 Nov;96 Suppl 2:S52-
60. 2006. PMID:17125534.
Davis CD. Low dietary copper increases fecal free radical production, fecal
water alkaline phosphatase activity and cytotoxicity in healthy men. J Nutr.
2003 Feb; 133(2):522-7 2003.
Ensminger AH, Ensminger, ME, Kondale JE, Robson JRK. Foods & Nutriton
Encyclopedia. Pegus Press, Clovis, California 1983.
Ensminger AH, Esminger M. K. J. e. al. Food for Health: A Nutrition
Encyclopedia. Clovis, California: Pegus Press; 1986 1986. PMID:15210.
Fortin, Francois, Editorial Director. The Visual Foods Encyclopedia.
Macmillan, New York 1996.
Hu FB, Stampfer MJ. Nut consumption and risk of coronary heart disease:
a review of epidemiologic evidence. Curr Atheroscler Rep 1999
Nov;1(3):204-9 1999.
Kelly JH Jr, Sabate J. Nuts and coronary heart disease: an epidemiological
perspective. Br J Nutr. 2006 Nov;96 Suppl 2:S61-7. 2006.
PMID:17125535.
Resnicow K, Barone J, Engle A, et al. Diet and serum lipids in vegan
vegetarians: a model for risk reduction. J Am Diet Assoc 1991
Apr;91(4):447-53 1991. PMID:16190.
Tsai CJ, Leitzmann MF, Hu FB, Willett WC, Giovannucci EL. Frequent nut
consumption and decreased risk of cholecystectomy in women. Am J Clin
Nutr. 2004 Jul;80(1):76-81. 2004. PMID:15213031.
Wood, Rebecca. The Whole Foods Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Prentice-
Hall Press; 1988 1988. PMID:15220.
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