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.
Cashews, raw
0.25 cup
(40.00 grams)
NutrientDRI/DV
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
Heart-Protective Monounsaturated Fats
Not only do cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts,
approximately 82% of their fat is unsaturated fatty acids, plus about
66% of this unsaturated fatty acid content are heart-healthy
monounsaturated fats, similar to those found in olive oil. 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.
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.
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.
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
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 sautéed vegetables.
Healthy sauté 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 soy sauce, 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 160-170°F (about
75°C) 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.
Individual Concerns
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?"
Allergic Reactions to Tree Nuts (Such as Cashews)
Although allergic reactions can occur to virtually any food, research
studies on food allergy consistently report more problems with some
foods than with others. It's important to realize that the frequency of
problems varies from country to country and can change significantly
along with changes in the food supply or with other manufacturing
practices. For example, in several part of the world, including Canada,
Japan, and Israel, sesame seed allergy has risen to a level of major
concern over the past 10 years.
In the United States, beginning in 2004 with the passage of the
Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), food labels
have been required to identify the presence of any major food
allergens. Since 90% of food allergies in the U.S. have been associated
with 8 food types as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control,
it is these 8 food types that are considered to be major food allergens
in the U.S. and require identification on food labels. The 8 food types
classified as major allergens are as follows: (1) wheat, (2) cow's milk,
(3) hen's eggs, (4) fish, (5) crustacean shellfish (including shrimp,
prawns, lobster and crab); (6) tree nuts (including cashews, almonds,
walnuts, pecans, pistachios, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts); (7)
peanuts; and (8) soy foods. In the case of cashews, there is also some
evidence showing cross-reactivity with peanuts, walnuts, and sesame
seeds, such that persons suspecting food allergy to cashews may also
want to determine the dietary safety and appropriateness of these other
foods.
These foods do not need to be eaten in their pure, isolated form
in order to trigger an adverse reaction. For example, yogurt made from
cow's milk is also a common allergenic food, even though the cow's milk
has been processed and fermented in order to make the yogurt. Ice cream
made from cow's milk would be an equally good example.
Food allergy symptoms may sometimes be immediate and specific,
and can include skin rash, hives, itching, and eczema; swelling of the
lips, tongue, or throat; tingling in the mouth; wheezing or nasal
congestion; trouble breathing; and dizziness or lightheadedness. But
food allergy symptoms may also be much more general and delayed, and can
include fatigue, depression, chronic headache, chronic bowel problems
(such as diarrhea or constipation), and insomnia. Because most food
allergy symptoms can be caused by a variety of other health problems, it
is good practice to seek the help of a healthcare provider when
evaluating the role of food allergies in your health.
Nutritional Profile
Cashews are an excellent source of copper, and a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and zinc.
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
40.00 grams
Calories: 221
GI: low
|
| Nutrient | Amount | DRI/DV
(%) | Nutrient
Density | World's Healthiest
Foods Rating |
|---|
| copper | 0.88 mg | 98 | 8.0 | excellent |
| phosphorus | 237.20 mg | 34 | 2.8 | good |
| manganese | 0.66 mg | 33 | 2.7 | good |
| magnesium | 116.80 mg | 29 | 2.4 | good |
| zinc | 2.31 mg | 21 | 1.7 | good |
World's Healthiest
Foods Rating | Rule |
|---|
| excellent |
DRI/DV>=75% OR
Density>=7.6 AND DRI/DV>=10% |
| very good |
DRI/DV>=50% OR
Density>=3.4 AND DRI/DV>=5% |
| good |
DRI/DV>=25% OR
Density>=1.5 AND DRI/DV>=2.5% |
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Cashews
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=98
