How Good Are Cashew Nuts for You?

Cashew nuts are an exceedingly beneficial addition to any diet due to their high nutritional profile.

They are an excellent addition to salads or morning muesli, and they may be transformed into creams and cheese-like products.

But just how good are cashew nuts for you?

Cashews are a unique source of plant protein and energy that should be included in everyone’s lunch bag.

However, learning how to take them properly and gain their particular advantages is critical.

This essay will explain why cashew nuts are so beneficial to your health.

Cashew Nuts Nutritional Profile

Cashews, like many other nuts, have a high nutritional profile.

When correctly processed, they may be turned into cheeses and creams.

This may be a huge benefit for those who consume a plant-based diet.

Indeed, cashews ensure that vegans may enjoy the smoothness of dairy products while increasing their protein intake without consuming animal products.

Furthermore, due to their nutritional composition, cashews have several health advantages, making them an essential food for anybody seeking to live a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

The following video provides an overview of the advantages of cashews:

Alternatively, continue reading to learn more about why cashews are so beneficial to your health.

All of the advantages of cashew nuts originate from their distinct nutritional composition. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, 1oz (8.3g) cashews contain:

• 157 calories
• 68g (0.059oz) of sugar
• 9g (0.031oz) of fiber
• 5g (0.29oz) of carbohydrate
• 1g (0.17oz) of protein
• 4g (0.43oz) fat contains 8g (0.28oz) saturated fat, 8g (0.28oz) polyunsaturated fat, and 24g (0.84oz) monounsaturated fat.

Cashews include calcium (10mg), non-hem iron (1.9mg), magnesium (83mg), phosphorous (169mg), potassium (187mg), and zinc (1.64mg) in addition to these macronutrients. Cashew nuts also include B6 and K vitamins.

The nutritional profile of cashew nuts makes them ideal for anybody following a vegan, vegetarian, paleo, keto, or plant-based diet who wants to ingest all of the required nutrients for a healthy lifestyle.

Finally, cashews should only be avoided if you have a nut allergy.

However, if you can include them into your diet, you may get some of their primary advantages.

They Are Beneficial for Heart Health

Studies done in 2018 and 2016 established the link between eating nuts, especially cashews, and having improved heart and circulation health.

According to these research, including nuts in our diets may reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke.

A 2019 research focuses primarily on the advantages of cashews for heart health.

It discovered that those who ate cashews on a daily basis had reduced LDL levels, which are commonly connected with heart and circulation disorders.

Lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels than HDL (good cholesterol) levels generally indicate that a person is healthy.

They Can Decrease the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Some studies have shown a correlation between nut intake and potential advantages in preventing type 2 diabetes.

Cashew nuts are abundant in fiber, which is one of the macronutrients that helps to preserve our digestion and gut flora.

More significantly, fibers are in charge of reducing blood sugar spikes, which are often connected with diabetic symptoms.

As a result, insulin levels may be reduced, giving the body improved control over blood sugar.

They Can Help With Weight Loss

Cashew nuts provide both good fats and calories.

This, along with their high fiber content, makes them a very satisfying meal.

As a result, even a handful of nuts may help you stay full between meals, minimize appetite, and avoid nibbling on harmful foods.

Furthermore, new research has shown that our bodies do not digest all of the calories in nuts.

Only around 84% of the calories in cashews are metabolized by our systems, with the remainder remaining locked in their fibrous structures.

This feature makes them especially useful if you are trying to lose weight.

As previously said, cashews are high in critical nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.

However, they, like most other meals, have certain drawbacks that you should be aware of before including them into your diet.

It is also worth noting that cashew nuts may be unsuitable for some diets, such as vegans who have chosen a plant-based diet for ethical reasons.

Indeed, cashew production and the uncontrolled labor market that supports it have become a growing concern.

certain vegans avoid eating this cuisine because certain parts are deemed immoral.

Here is a list of the primary drawbacks of cashews:

The Added Salt or Oil

Most cashew nuts on the market are sold in mixed nuts packages or as roasted, salted, or oiled nuts. Of course, consuming cashew nuts in this manner will allow you to gain all of their advantages.

However, you may be looking at a different nutritional profile than you expected.

Added salt, sugar, or oil may raise fat and sugar levels, which may sabotage your weight reduction efforts and have a negative impact on your circulatory health.

Finally, if you want to include cashew nuts into your diet for their health advantages, choose unsalted, dry-roasted cashew nuts.

The Level of Phytate

Phytates, often known as phytic acid, are naturally occurring substances present in plant seeds.

The fundamental purpose of this chemical is to trap minerals in the plant so that they may be used to develop.

This molecule, however, is regarded an anti-nutrient when present in cashews and other nuts such as almonds because it hinders the absorption of zinc and other nutrients from the cashew.

It may also make cashews less digestible.

You might soak the cashews overnight to release the Phytate that’s been hidden within them.

This method will allow you to maximize the nutritional profile of cashews while also making them easier to digest.

They Can Cause Allergic Reactions

The fact that cashews are categorized as tree nuts is the last major drawback.

They may trigger allergy responses in certain individuals since they are tree nuts.

whether you are allergic to nuts like brazil nuts, almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts, you should check to see whether you are also allergic to cashew nuts.

Cashew nuts are high in fats and calories.

While these features may help you lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle, they may also have the opposite impact.

Consuming nuts on a daily basis may lead you to eat more calories than you want and, as a result, acquire weight.

If you have problems with cholesterol, obesity, weight gain, or diabetes, you should see a nutritionist before incorporating nuts into your diet on a regular basis.

Zinc is a mineral that is necessary for optimum health.

This vitamin is required by around 300 enzymes in the body to perform their activities.

Zinc is a trace mineral that supports immune system functioning, metabolizes nutrients, and promotes tissue health and repair.

Because our bodies can not retain zinc, it is critical that we receive enough of it via our meals, and cashews are the finest source!

When researching the nutritional profile of cashews, you will discover that they are quite rich in zinc.

Cashews are one of the greatest nuts to consume if you want to get a good dose of zinc.

Cashews are essential nuts to have in everyone’s diet.

They are a vital source of protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins.

These nuts are very rich in zinc and high in beneficial fatty acids.

Cashews may help you combat poor cholesterol, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes because of their high nutritional profile.

Cashews are also loved for their versatility.

When properly processed, they may be made into cheeses and creams, which are ideal for anybody following a plant-based diet.

Just be sure to restrict your cashew nut consumption to 5 per day.