There are many health benefits of cashews to eat these nuts on a daily basis. They are extremely healthy due to the ingredients they contain in their rich nutritional composition.
The richness of carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, and fiber is a guarantee of better health. They contain copper, zinc, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and selenium, and many other micronutrients that will improve our health. Eating a handful of cashews a day will improve our heart and brain health, we will have healthier skin and hair, better eyesight, more energy and we will lose weight.
Cashews reduce the chances of gallstones and cholesterol will also decrease.
14 Health benefits of cashews
This is just a brief part of the reasons why we should eat cashews, and now let’s find out more about all the reasons why we should eat cashews.
1. By consuming cashew nuts to healthy skin and hair
Hair and skin will start to shine if we take cashews into our bodies every day.
These nuts are a great source of copper and antioxidants that are good for your skin and hair.
Antioxidants are known to reduce the signs of aging, and copper, along with other enzymes, produces a collagen product.
Collagen is responsible for increasing the elasticity of your skin. With its action, your hair becomes light and strong and will get a silky smooth texture.
Copper helps produce melanin. Melanin is very important for the health of the skin and hair.
With melanin, we naturally protect ourselves from UV rays, which can damage our skin and hair.
2. Cashew nuts increase energy
That’s right, eat these nuts every day and you will have more energy.
Walnuts contain a variety of minerals and vitamins, including vitamins E, K, B6, copper, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron, and selenium.
They all play an important role in helping your body function properly. And the healthier your metabolism, the more energetic you will feel throughout the day.
Let’s emphasize that just one handful of cashew nuts is enough to have more energy during the day.
3. Cashews are good food for the heart
A rich diet of nuts, including cashews, has consistently been shown to reduce the risk of diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
Here are three studies that have focused specifically on the impact of cashew nuts.
The first says that people with type 2 diabetes, who consumed 10% of the daily calories from these nuts, had a significantly better ratio of LDL: HDL or “good” vs “bad” cholesterol, compared to those who did not consume at all.
The ratio LDL: HDL cholesterol is usually considered a good marker (indicator) for heart health.
The other two studies say that eating cashews can increase the level of “good” HDL cholesterol, and lower LDL cholesterol, but also blood pressure.
In addition, the mineral composition (magnesium) also has positive implications for heart health.
This mineral, along with sodium and potassium, participates in muscle contraction but also plays a role in neuromuscular transmission and activity.
Studies show that those who get enough magnesium from their diet have a 58% lower risk of coronary artery disease.
Magnesium participates in over 300 enzymatic, important reactions for the body, including the metabolism of food and the production of specific fatty acids and proteins.
4. Good bone health by eating cashews
Cashews are among the few products that are high in copper.
For people over 19, the recommended daily dose of copper is 900mcg, and 30g of cashew nuts contains over 600mcg.
Copper deficiency is associated with decreased bone density and an increased risk of osteoporosis.
However, as there is no evidence that milder copper deficiency has any implications for osteoporosis, copper supplementation is not recommended to prevent such conditions.
Copper also plays an important role in the metabolism of collagen and elastin. These are the two main structural protein components of the body, especially important for bones and skin.
Additionally, the solid concentration of magnesium and manganese in these cashew nuts also has a positive effect on bone health.
Magnesium plays an important role in the assimilation of calcium in the bones, manganese helps prevent osteoporosis, in combination with calcium and copper.
5. Reduced risk of gallstones with cashews
According to a study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, regular consumption of nuts is associated with a reduced risk of gallbladder removal surgery.
Data on more than 1 million people over a 20-year period were found and women who eat more than 140g of nuts a week had a significantly lower risk of gallstones (which would result in surgery) than women who eat less than 30g.
6. With cashew nuts to lose weight
Nuts are rich in healthy fats, as well as energy, ie caloric value. For these reasons, people who are in the process of losing weight know how to avoid nuts.
However, the exact opposite should be applied.
Research is increasingly linking nut-rich diets to more successful weight loss than those that do not.
Why?
Although cashews (and other nuts) will provide you with healthy fats, fiber and protein – they will saturate you more easily and for a longer time – the body is not able to absorb all the fat (calories) from fresh nuts.
According to some studies, only about 80% of calories can be used, but this would not apply to roasted nuts.
7. Cashews are a healthy option for people with type 2 diabetes
Walnuts are a good source of fiber, a nutrient that prevents sugar spikes, and a number of studies have linked it to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
Fiber, in addition to binding water and promoting satiety, also reduces the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream (inhibiting the breakdown of digestive enzymes), ie lowering the glycemic index of all food in the stomach at a given time.
In addition, like other nuts, cashews have very low sugar content.
8. Cashew nuts for healthier blood
Cashews are a super blood health food due to their copper and iron content.
In particular, when our body has reduced amounts of copper, anemia can easily occur. In such situations, the red blood cells are reduced to a very low level.
Anemia causes weakness, less energy, and strength to perform daily tasks.
Therefore, daily consumption of a handful of cashews that contain copper and iron will help us to have enough red blood cells.
So eat cashews and you will not have problems with your blood.
9. Cashew nuts for better brain function
These nuts are recommended in case of mental strain.
They are especially important in the diet of pupils and students, as well as those who sit in front of a computer for a long time.
The presence of healthy fatty acids is great for brain health.
In addition to fatty acids, there are copper, zinc, iron that together help the brain to regulate mood, and reduce the chances of depression and anxiety.
10. Better eye health by eating cashews
Cashews are rich in zinc, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids that can reach the lens and retina (which helps filter out potentially harmful light wavelengths) from the eye where they work to significantly reduce oxidative stress.
Some studies show that about 6mg per day of these powerful antioxidant components significantly reduces the risk of developing macular degeneration.
Zinc is a mineral that also helps maintain the health of the retina, cell membranes, and protein structures of the eye.
Zinc allows vitamin A to “travel” from the liver to the retina and produces melanin. Melanin is a pigment that protects the eyes from harmful ultraviolet light.
Therefore, eat cashews to protect eye health and prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.
11. Fewer headaches with cashew nuts
If you want to be happy and not have a headache, here are cashew nuts.
Or rather, magnesium is the recipe for fewer headaches and migraines, and here’s why.
Magnesium helps to reduce migraine attacks. This mineral helps to relax blood vessels. The next time you feel a headache, take some of your favorite nuts.
There is evidence that people suffering from headaches and migraines are deficient in magnesium.
So feel free to eat cashews to get the amount of magnesium you need.
12. Cashews for thyroid health
The thyroid gland is one of the most important endocrine glands in our body and therefore its health is very important for proper metabolic function.
Disorders of this gland can lead to complications in the body because the thyroid gland is responsible for producing energy in the body and regulating many metabolic processes.
One of the biggest enemies of the thyroid gland is stress.
Genetic predisposition plays a big role in the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, but proper nutrition is also very important.
Diet as a factor that affects the health of this gland can be most easily controlled because we are responsible for the products we eat.
Nuts such as cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts are an excellent source of many amino acids that act as precursors in the synthesis of thyroid hormones.
Also as we have already said cashews are a great source of magnesium.
Walnuts are especially important for thyroid health because they contain selenium which is necessary for the conversion of thyroid hormones from inactive to the active form.
A poorly functioning thyroid gland can be activated with the help of proper nutrition.
Zinc and selenium and their intake through cashews will improve the functioning of the thyroid gland which works more slowly.
Women should pay more attention to the thyroid gland because they have more problems with it than men.
13. Oral health with cashews
Eat cashews and you will not have problems with the oral cavity.
Walnut preserves the health of teeth and gums by destroying bacteria.
This prevents the spread of bacteria that in turn cause caries, gum disease, acne, and other diseases.
14. Cashew nuts for a healthy stomach
The benefits of cashew nuts for stomach health are impressive. Just eat one handful of these nuts and keep your stomach healthy.
Specifically, in the shell of cashews is anacardic acid.
It is actually an anticancer and has a positive effect on the destruction of cancer cells. Cashews effectively kill the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach ulcers.
Conclusion
Cashews are a real treasure for our health. They with their impressive composition have numerous health benefits.
Vitamins, minerals, proteins, fiber, carbohydrates, and healthy fats are found in cashews. If we consume them daily, we will have a healthier heart, healthier bones, we will protect our eyes and brain.
Walnuts also help to lose weight, although they are high in calories, they cause satiety and are therefore good for reducing the need for food and weight loss.
Hair and skin will shine if we eat a handful of cashew nuts every day.
Too many benefits in those small nuts, so consume them every day and enjoy their taste, knowing that you are improving your health at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pieces of cashew nuts should we eat per day?
The fact is that the food of this type should be consumed in really small quantities. Approximately daily, as many grains as it can fit in our palm. 3-8 pieces of cashew nuts or 30 grams per day is enough to make the most of their benefits.
What time of day is it best to consume cashews?
Nuts, including cashews, are high in protein and fatty acids. They are called superfoods because they provide energy. Although they are healthy, they contain fat and therefore a handful of daily intake is recommended. You can eat them on an empty stomach for a snack or add them to a smoothie. Morning is the best time to consume cashew nuts. That way we will have more energy during the day, more satiety, and enough time for their processing in our body.
Are cashews safe to eat during pregnancy?
Walnuts are safe to eat and are a great dietary supplement during pregnancy. The only condition is that you are not allergic to them. Walnuts are a rich source of essential vitamins and minerals that help your baby grow and develop. You can choose organic walnuts with cashews that are smaller in size and rich in nutrients because they are grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides. They also retain their original flavor. They also contain squalene, phytosterols, tocopherols that are useful during pregnancy.
How much cashew nuts should you eat per day during pregnancy?
Walnuts are high in calories and fat. However, during pregnancy, about 15 pieces can be consumed daily. However, it is always better to do an allergy test before consuming cashews to avoid side effects.
