ClosePhoto: Getty Images / Vladislav Nosick / 500pxNative to South America, this cream-colored, kidney-shaped tree nut is now grown in other tropical areas around the world like Asia and India. So-called “raw” cashews (which have been cooked, but not browned or roasted), as well as roasted cashews, are commonly used in Asian cooking. They’re also a popular snack. Now, thanks to thegrowing trend of plant-based eating, you can find cashew butter, cashew milk and vegan dishes aiming to mimic dairy-based products like cashew cheese and cheese sauce (try “cheesy” cashews in ourVegan Mac & CheeseandVegan Fettuccine Alfredo).So how healthy is this versatile nut? We’ll tell you.Nutrition Facts: What’s in a Serving of Cashews?In a1-ounce serving, orabout 18 whole cashews, there are:Calories: 163Protein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated fat: 3gCarbohydrate: 9gSugars: 1gFiber: 1gSodium: 5mgA 1-ounce portion of cashews also gives you healthy doses of vitamin K and a handful of other minerals—copper (31% of your daily target), magnesium (18%), phosphorus (14%), manganese (12%), zinc (10%) and iron (9%).The Health Benefits of CashewsCompared to some other nuts (we’re looking at you,almonds,walnutsandpistachios), cashews don’t have as much research behind them. What does exist is promising, albeit preliminary, but dig a little deeper and you’ll realize that you probably won’t reap those benefits from eating cashews.For instance, there are a few published animal studies on anacardic acid—a compound in cashews. The research shows that anacardic acidstimulates muscle cells to take up more glucose(a great benefit for people with diabetes); andanother newer studyfound that when mice fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet received anacardic acid as a supplement, the buildup of fat in their livers slowed, as did their development of insulin resistance—both of which allude to anti-diabetes benefits. But here’s the catch: anacardic acid is extracted from the shell surrounding the cashew, which also has a compound in it that can give your skin a poison-ivy like rash. Anacardic acid isn’t in the nut that we eat, though some may remain depending on how the nuts were processed.One study, published in theJournal of Nutrition,did find that eating about 1 ounce of cashews each day for 12 weeks helped people with type 2 Diabetes reduce their blood pressure and increase their HDL or “good” cholesterol.Other research shows copper is beneficial for our skin (it’s also involved in energy production in our bodies). Copper can encouragecollagenand elastin production (which help keeps skin looking youthful and prevent wrinkles from forming) and is essential for wound healing. But dig into those studies and it seems they’re predominantly focused on the topical use, or exposure to, copper (think: wound dressings, copper-laced pillowcases and socks). Eating copper-rich foods hasn’t been a research focus—at least not yet.Still, none of this is to say that cashews aren’t a healthy choice. They absolutely are! Make a vegan cashew “cheese” sauce and—no doubt—you’ll eat less saturated fat. Mix cashews into your favorite trail mix or granola recipe and you’ll add protein and heart-healthy fats—both of which make your recipe that much more satisfying. Or top yourfavorite stir-fry with cashewsfor some crunch.Plus, there’s plenty of research that showspeople who eat nuts are healthier and live longer(really!). So, go on, crack open some cashews.Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
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Photo: Getty Images / Vladislav Nosick / 500px
Native to South America, this cream-colored, kidney-shaped tree nut is now grown in other tropical areas around the world like Asia and India. So-called “raw” cashews (which have been cooked, but not browned or roasted), as well as roasted cashews, are commonly used in Asian cooking. They’re also a popular snack. Now, thanks to thegrowing trend of plant-based eating, you can find cashew butter, cashew milk and vegan dishes aiming to mimic dairy-based products like cashew cheese and cheese sauce (try “cheesy” cashews in ourVegan Mac & CheeseandVegan Fettuccine Alfredo).So how healthy is this versatile nut? We’ll tell you.Nutrition Facts: What’s in a Serving of Cashews?In a1-ounce serving, orabout 18 whole cashews, there are:Calories: 163Protein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated fat: 3gCarbohydrate: 9gSugars: 1gFiber: 1gSodium: 5mgA 1-ounce portion of cashews also gives you healthy doses of vitamin K and a handful of other minerals—copper (31% of your daily target), magnesium (18%), phosphorus (14%), manganese (12%), zinc (10%) and iron (9%).The Health Benefits of CashewsCompared to some other nuts (we’re looking at you,almonds,walnutsandpistachios), cashews don’t have as much research behind them. What does exist is promising, albeit preliminary, but dig a little deeper and you’ll realize that you probably won’t reap those benefits from eating cashews.For instance, there are a few published animal studies on anacardic acid—a compound in cashews. The research shows that anacardic acidstimulates muscle cells to take up more glucose(a great benefit for people with diabetes); andanother newer studyfound that when mice fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet received anacardic acid as a supplement, the buildup of fat in their livers slowed, as did their development of insulin resistance—both of which allude to anti-diabetes benefits. But here’s the catch: anacardic acid is extracted from the shell surrounding the cashew, which also has a compound in it that can give your skin a poison-ivy like rash. Anacardic acid isn’t in the nut that we eat, though some may remain depending on how the nuts were processed.One study, published in theJournal of Nutrition,did find that eating about 1 ounce of cashews each day for 12 weeks helped people with type 2 Diabetes reduce their blood pressure and increase their HDL or “good” cholesterol.Other research shows copper is beneficial for our skin (it’s also involved in energy production in our bodies). Copper can encouragecollagenand elastin production (which help keeps skin looking youthful and prevent wrinkles from forming) and is essential for wound healing. But dig into those studies and it seems they’re predominantly focused on the topical use, or exposure to, copper (think: wound dressings, copper-laced pillowcases and socks). Eating copper-rich foods hasn’t been a research focus—at least not yet.Still, none of this is to say that cashews aren’t a healthy choice. They absolutely are! Make a vegan cashew “cheese” sauce and—no doubt—you’ll eat less saturated fat. Mix cashews into your favorite trail mix or granola recipe and you’ll add protein and heart-healthy fats—both of which make your recipe that much more satisfying. Or top yourfavorite stir-fry with cashewsfor some crunch.Plus, there’s plenty of research that showspeople who eat nuts are healthier and live longer(really!). So, go on, crack open some cashews.Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Native to South America, this cream-colored, kidney-shaped tree nut is now grown in other tropical areas around the world like Asia and India. So-called “raw” cashews (which have been cooked, but not browned or roasted), as well as roasted cashews, are commonly used in Asian cooking. They’re also a popular snack. Now, thanks to thegrowing trend of plant-based eating, you can find cashew butter, cashew milk and vegan dishes aiming to mimic dairy-based products like cashew cheese and cheese sauce (try “cheesy” cashews in ourVegan Mac & CheeseandVegan Fettuccine Alfredo).So how healthy is this versatile nut? We’ll tell you.Nutrition Facts: What’s in a Serving of Cashews?In a1-ounce serving, orabout 18 whole cashews, there are:Calories: 163Protein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated fat: 3gCarbohydrate: 9gSugars: 1gFiber: 1gSodium: 5mgA 1-ounce portion of cashews also gives you healthy doses of vitamin K and a handful of other minerals—copper (31% of your daily target), magnesium (18%), phosphorus (14%), manganese (12%), zinc (10%) and iron (9%).The Health Benefits of CashewsCompared to some other nuts (we’re looking at you,almonds,walnutsandpistachios), cashews don’t have as much research behind them. What does exist is promising, albeit preliminary, but dig a little deeper and you’ll realize that you probably won’t reap those benefits from eating cashews.For instance, there are a few published animal studies on anacardic acid—a compound in cashews. The research shows that anacardic acidstimulates muscle cells to take up more glucose(a great benefit for people with diabetes); andanother newer studyfound that when mice fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet received anacardic acid as a supplement, the buildup of fat in their livers slowed, as did their development of insulin resistance—both of which allude to anti-diabetes benefits. But here’s the catch: anacardic acid is extracted from the shell surrounding the cashew, which also has a compound in it that can give your skin a poison-ivy like rash. Anacardic acid isn’t in the nut that we eat, though some may remain depending on how the nuts were processed.One study, published in theJournal of Nutrition,did find that eating about 1 ounce of cashews each day for 12 weeks helped people with type 2 Diabetes reduce their blood pressure and increase their HDL or “good” cholesterol.Other research shows copper is beneficial for our skin (it’s also involved in energy production in our bodies). Copper can encouragecollagenand elastin production (which help keeps skin looking youthful and prevent wrinkles from forming) and is essential for wound healing. But dig into those studies and it seems they’re predominantly focused on the topical use, or exposure to, copper (think: wound dressings, copper-laced pillowcases and socks). Eating copper-rich foods hasn’t been a research focus—at least not yet.Still, none of this is to say that cashews aren’t a healthy choice. They absolutely are! Make a vegan cashew “cheese” sauce and—no doubt—you’ll eat less saturated fat. Mix cashews into your favorite trail mix or granola recipe and you’ll add protein and heart-healthy fats—both of which make your recipe that much more satisfying. Or top yourfavorite stir-fry with cashewsfor some crunch.Plus, there’s plenty of research that showspeople who eat nuts are healthier and live longer(really!). So, go on, crack open some cashews.
Native to South America, this cream-colored, kidney-shaped tree nut is now grown in other tropical areas around the world like Asia and India. So-called “raw” cashews (which have been cooked, but not browned or roasted), as well as roasted cashews, are commonly used in Asian cooking. They’re also a popular snack. Now, thanks to thegrowing trend of plant-based eating, you can find cashew butter, cashew milk and vegan dishes aiming to mimic dairy-based products like cashew cheese and cheese sauce (try “cheesy” cashews in ourVegan Mac & CheeseandVegan Fettuccine Alfredo).
So how healthy is this versatile nut? We’ll tell you.
Nutrition Facts: What’s in a Serving of Cashews?
In a1-ounce serving, orabout 18 whole cashews, there are:
A 1-ounce portion of cashews also gives you healthy doses of vitamin K and a handful of other minerals—copper (31% of your daily target), magnesium (18%), phosphorus (14%), manganese (12%), zinc (10%) and iron (9%).
The Health Benefits of Cashews
Compared to some other nuts (we’re looking at you,almonds,walnutsandpistachios), cashews don’t have as much research behind them. What does exist is promising, albeit preliminary, but dig a little deeper and you’ll realize that you probably won’t reap those benefits from eating cashews.
For instance, there are a few published animal studies on anacardic acid—a compound in cashews. The research shows that anacardic acidstimulates muscle cells to take up more glucose(a great benefit for people with diabetes); andanother newer studyfound that when mice fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet received anacardic acid as a supplement, the buildup of fat in their livers slowed, as did their development of insulin resistance—both of which allude to anti-diabetes benefits. But here’s the catch: anacardic acid is extracted from the shell surrounding the cashew, which also has a compound in it that can give your skin a poison-ivy like rash. Anacardic acid isn’t in the nut that we eat, though some may remain depending on how the nuts were processed.
One study, published in theJournal of Nutrition,did find that eating about 1 ounce of cashews each day for 12 weeks helped people with type 2 Diabetes reduce their blood pressure and increase their HDL or “good” cholesterol.
Other research shows copper is beneficial for our skin (it’s also involved in energy production in our bodies). Copper can encouragecollagenand elastin production (which help keeps skin looking youthful and prevent wrinkles from forming) and is essential for wound healing. But dig into those studies and it seems they’re predominantly focused on the topical use, or exposure to, copper (think: wound dressings, copper-laced pillowcases and socks). Eating copper-rich foods hasn’t been a research focus—at least not yet.
Still, none of this is to say that cashews aren’t a healthy choice. They absolutely are! Make a vegan cashew “cheese” sauce and—no doubt—you’ll eat less saturated fat. Mix cashews into your favorite trail mix or granola recipe and you’ll add protein and heart-healthy fats—both of which make your recipe that much more satisfying. Or top yourfavorite stir-fry with cashewsfor some crunch.
Plus, there’s plenty of research that showspeople who eat nuts are healthier and live longer(really!). So, go on, crack open some cashews.
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
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Thanks for your feedback!
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