Crescent-Shaped Nutritional Powerhouse
Cashew nut, commonly known as kaju in India, is derived from a tropical tree called cashew tree which is grown largely in India, Nigeria, Vietnam. Ivory Coast. Pakistan and Indonesia. The cashew seed is served as a snack and is also used in various cooking preparations like sweets and gravies. This little nut is a power house of energy. antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Nutritional Benefits
- Cashews are a power house of calories. 100 grams of nuts have 553 calories.
- Cashews are abundant in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) like palmitoleic acid and oleic acid. These acids help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels while increasing HDL (good cholesterol) levels in the blood.
- The soluble dietary fibre present in them helps keep the gut healthy. Also, the minerals, phytochemicals and vitamins present in cashew nuts guard from cancers and various other diseases.
- The mineral banks of cashews include potassium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, selenium and magnesium. All these minerals are important for the normal functioning of various metabolic processes in the body.
-
- Magnesium present in cashew nuts helps lower blood pressure.
- Copper helps with regard to maintaining the colour black ¡n our hair.
- Calcium and magnesium are important for healthy bones and teeth,
- Magnesium also plays a great role in keeping our nerves healthy.
- The vitamin bank of cashews includes pyridoxine (vitamin B6), riboflavin and thiamine (vitamin Bi) and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5). Thus, it helps fight various diseases associated with deficiency of vitamin B complex.
- Cashews also have a small amount of zeaxanthin which is an amazing pigment flavonoid antioxidant, It has antioxidant and protective Uy ray filtering functions and helps prevent age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) in the elderly.
Add Cashew Nuts To Your Diet
- Mix cashews with other nuts and eat them as a snack.
- Add cashews as a topping to vegetables and desserts.
- Cashews alone can be eaten as a roasted snack.
- Add cashew paste to gravies.
A handful of raw or roasted cashew nuts once a week with a regular diet will provide ample amount of the minerals mentioned before and may help prevent deficiency diseases. However, too much of anything is bad. Therefore, excess consumption of cashew nuts in the diet may lead to oxalate stones and allergic reactions in some individuals. So, remember that cashew nuts are a nutritional wonder when eaten wisely.