Delicately sweet and crispy, the delicious cashew nuts are overflowed with antioxidants, vitamins, energy, and minerals important to good health. Cashews are predominantly used in wide-ranging savory dishes across the world. Unlike their name, they are a popular kind of seed packed with high nutritional value and numerous health benefits. Most of these health benefits are associated with fatty acids in combination with healthy antioxidants. They are rich in selenium, copper, phosphorus, and iron.

However, remember unprocessed or raw cashews can be life-threatening. Make sure not to eat them without processing and cleaning. The intake of cashew nuts in the right amount is connected to multiple improving health conditions such as reduced cholesterol, improved cardiovascular health, and weight loss. Let’s walk through their contribution when it comes to health and explore the nutritional value.

Cashew Nuts Nutritional Value

As we have mentioned above, cashews come with high nutritional value that can benefit you in the long run. It is found that cashews comprise 8.5 grams of carbs and 157 calories which makes them stand out among other nuts. At the same time, they make a light option for digestion since they contain just 4% of your RDI which is less than a gram in dietary fiber. What makes these cashews incredibly healthy is the presence of monounsaturated fatty acid content. These fatty acids provide several health benefits comprising palmitoleic acid, linoleic acid, and oleic acid. Want to know more about the health benefits of cashew nuts? Read on for more information!

Health Benefits of Cashew Nuts

While cashew nuts come with a minimal percentage of fatty content, about 82% of the fat makes for unsaturated fatty acids. On the other hand, 66% of the unsaturated fatty acid is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat which is commonly found in olive oil. Studies have found that when monounsaturated fat is added to a low-fat diet can help diabetic patients with reduced triglyceride levels. A high level of triglyceride means an increased probability of heart disease. Having a certain percentage of monounsaturated fats in your diet improve your heart condition and minimize any associated risks.

Also, it is found that cashew nuts reduce the total cholesterol and bad cholesterol with the intake of high-carb snacks. Incorporating the appropriate amount of zinc and protein, you are assured with a strong immune system while the micronutrients such as magnesium and phosphorus contribute to improved growth and bone health. What’s more? Women consuming a minimum of 1 ounce of nuts have reduced risk of developing gallstones by approximately 25%. You can enjoy cashew butter with a jelly sandwich – tempting enough!

Though make sure to use wheat bread considering its rich percentage of minerals, fiber, and vitamins. You may want to use some cashew nuts in the salad or oatmeal. For people who are fitness enthusiasts and have set some fitness goals over the years, diet is something that significantly contributes to attaining these goals. It is no exaggeration to say that consuming cashew nuts as a part of your diet routine can kill your hunger and at the same time provide the much-needed nutrients. When talking about fitness goals, weight loss is common among many people. You might be thinking about whether cashews can help in weight loss. Yes, these nuts contribute to a healthy diet and prevent weight gain. In general, they might be high in calories yet the nutrient and vitamins rich dry fruit ensure a balance when it comes to weight loss.

Further, if you are consuming nuts on a routine basis as an alternative to refined carbs or red meat, it can help in preventing conditions like obesity and diabetes. The high amount of fiber content and protein will keep your stomach full for longer periods. As we have mentioned above, cashews are a great source of magnesium which is important to healthy muscles, tissues, and bones. Magnesium helps in balancing and maintaining blood pressure and nerve functionality. Also, it improves the bones' strength and boosts immunity. It contributes to multiple metabolic operations and helps in regulating the insulin activity in the body.

That being said, lack of magnesium can affect the entire metabolism procedure and efficiency of the hormones. Likewise, cashew nuts assist in the metabolism of iron which further helps in producing red blood cells (RBC). It is no surprise to say that this in turn is important to the skeletal and nervous system of the body. On the contrary, deficiency of copper means many adverse health conditions such as anemia and osteoporosis that are primarily caused due to weakening bones and muscles.

How to Select and Store

Many cashew nuts are available in bulk bins and prepackaged containers. Similar to other food items that can be bought in bulk, you must ensure that the bins are covered properly. This will keep them fresh for a relatively longer duration. Whether you are looking forward to packages containers or bulk cashews there should not be any moisture or insect damage involved. With the high content of oleic acid, these nuts are comparatively more stable than others, still, it is important to store them in airtight containers and keep them in the refrigerator. In this way, you can use them even for six months or even a year.

How to Enjoy Cashews

If you are thinking about how to enjoy the cashew nuts in the best way possible, here we have listed a few ideas to help you. After all, you need something to make them more delicious.

• You can use dried fruits and other nuts with cashews and come up with a healthy and tempting snack.

• Combine cashew nuts with a small amount of maple syrup which makes a lip-smacking topping for hot cereals all set to start a day.

• Use cashew butter on the bread – a simple and delicious breakfast that can be ready in no time. Don’t forget to create a creamy nutting taste.  

• Here’s another luscious sauce that can be served with rice, vegetables, or fish – use cashew butter with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and water on low to moderate heat.

• If you are looking forward to roasted cashews at home while preserving the healthy oils, the best-suited temperature is 160-170°F (about 75°C) for approximately 15-20 minutes.

Conclusion

Finally, it’s time to wrap up the article. Many of us are aware of the fact that nuts are present everywhere and in almost everything. We often use them in breakfast bowls, snack mixes, and smoothies – it makes for a tempting dried fruit that you cannot simply resist having. When it comes to healthy foods, cashew nuts make for an important item. Among many nuts, you would love to consume cashews as one of the top priorities. These are absolutely the sweetest and creamiest nuts available on the market. The processed form can be used in wide-ranging recipes to make it more delicious than ever before. If you have read this far, you are more likely to be familiar with their numerous health benefits. Though remember to consume the right amount of these nuts and make sure you are not allergic. Stay Healthy!