Did you know cashews are not only delicious but also amazing for your health?! Here are some of the most important cashew nuts benefits you probably didn’t know about.
Cashews are one of my favorite nuts and I’m sure I’m not the only one. However what you might not know is that cashews are also great for your health. Here is the list of 5 amazing cashew nuts benefits you probably didn’t know about.
When I say cashew nuts can help with anxiety and depression people usually make fun of me because it seems too good to be true. However, as someone who deals with several psychiatric diagnoses and among others suffers with anxiety and depressions quite often, I can confirm, that “the right food” can make a huge change and that cashews can be a great help.
Why? Because in cashews there’s Tryptophan which boosts your brain’s production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter which makes you feel good and has a positive impact on sleeping, therefore provides stable mood. Higher intake of magnesium is also associated with mental health and there’s about 270 mg of magnesium in 100g of cashews. Lastly, but not less importantly, cashews are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids which provides a stable mental condition and mood as well.
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They’re good for your blood & heart
The copper and iron co-work in your blood and provide forming of red blood cells. In general, we can say that eating cashews lead to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. How? Cashews contain unsaturated fats, which lower the „bad“ cholesterol (LDL) levels. Omega-3 fatty acids can have a positive impact on your heart beating, helping you avoid dangerous heart rhythms, that can lead to heart attack. And of course, there’s vitamin E. Vitamin E lower the risk of making plaques in your arteries, making sure your blood is pumping through the veins as it’s supposed to.
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Your eyes will thank you!
Cashew nuts have a great impact on your eyes. They contain lutein and zeaxanthin which acts as an antioxidant and protect your eye from lightning, or to be concrete from UV rays. By eating cashews regularly you’re lowering the risk of getting blind in the elderly and also prevent from cataracts.
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Improve dental health.
Cashews also contain acids that can kill gram positive bacteria and protect your teeth from tooth decay. It‘s also believed, but not proven yet though, that cashews are prevention from abscessed teeth.
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They’re full of vitamins and minerals
As I’m writing it’s already clear that cashews contain some interesting nutrients, but they contain more than those mentioned above. Let me just quickly name what you can find in cashews > Manganese, potassium, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc, calcium, and selenium. They also contain vitamin B1 (thiamin), B5, B6, riboflavin and vitamin E. All these nutrients are obviously good for your body and have a positive impact on various body parts and mechanisms. Additionally, these nutrients and especially vitamins are essential for the metabolization of protein, fat, and carbohydrates at the cellular level.
Daily doses
A handful of cashews a day would provide enough of minerals (manganese, potassium, copper, iron, magnesium zinc, and selenium) and can prevent the deficiency diseases.
Two servings of cashews can prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer according to Harvard research [1].
As long as you’re not allergic to nuts, you should consider placing them in your meal plan. However, you shouldn’t get too excited and eat too much of them, because excess consumption of cashews can lead to vomiting and diarrhea.
[1] http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/128/5/553.full
Photo sources: freeimages.com and Jona @Oh Wholly Vegan
