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Cashew is Healthy for the Entire Family



                              Health Benefits of Cashews






                 Health Benefits of Cashews                         that are abundant in CNSL could represent a sustainable
                 Cashews contain all sorts of vital nutrients. They are high   resource from which to generate affordable drugs to treat
                 in monounsaturated fat, which may help to decrease bad   dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes.” In another study, CNSL
                 cholesterol.1 They are high in iron,2 which contributes to the   showed effective antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against
                 normal functioning of the immune system. They are also high   streptococci and enterococci, which are related to den-
                 in vitamin K, which may contribute to normal blood clotting   tal caries and chronic apical periodontitis, respectively.10
                 and healthy bones.” Cashews are also high in minerals like   Finally, the development of new molecules derived from
                 magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese and copper, as   CNSL has emerged as a successful approach to the de-
                 well as a source of fiber, vitamin B1, vitamin B5, potassium   velopment of novel drug candidates against Alzheimer’s
                 and selenium.                                      disease.”1 The cashew apple, too, holds untapped promise.
                                                                    Despite accounting for 90% of the total weight of the fruit, the
                 Within the robust body of evidence demonstrating the health   hypocarp-or swollen stem-of the cashew flower has tradition-
                 benefits of tree nuts, cashews are among the lesser-studied   ally received much less attention from health researchers.
                 nuts. Fortunately, more and more researchers are recogniz-  Fortunately, this is starting to change. Cashew apples contain
                 ing this opportunity and the scientific literature supporting   vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids, carotenoids, total polyphenols,
                 the health benefits of cashews is growing. Consumers,   flava and amino acids, as well as minerals such as potassi-
                 likewise, have more reasons than ever to incorporate this   um, magnesium, sodium and iron. A recent literature review
                 scrumptious nut into their diet!                   suggested that cashew apples may offer therapeutic effects
                                                                    in the management of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases
                 Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes                and may also potentially be beneficial for weight manage-
                 A 2018 study in a group of 300 Asian Indians with type 2 di-  ment, although further research is needed.”
                 abetes found that, after a 12-week intervention, consumption
                 of a handful of cashews each day was associated with higher   References
                 levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol-also known as   1. Mah, E., et al. (2017). Cashew consumption reduces
                 “good” cholesterol, because it is associated with lower risk of   total and LDL cholesterol: a randomized, crossover, con-
                 heart disease.’ Study  participants who ate cashews also saw   trolled-feeding trial. Am J Clin Nutr, 105(5), 1070-1078. 2.
                 a decrease in systolic blood pressure from baseline, and no   Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 of the European Parliament
                 deleterious effects on body weight, blood sugar or other lipid   and of the Council of 20 December 2006. 3. Commission
                 variables were observed. With a low glycemic index, cashews   Regulation (EU) No. 432/2012 of 16 May 2012. 4. Regulation
                 can be included in a low-Gl diet, which may help to manage   (EC) No. 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the
                 blood glucose and insulin levels and therefore may help to   Council of 20 December 2006. 5. Commission Regulation
                 reduce risk of type 2 diabetes.                    (EU) No. 432/2012 of 16 May 2012. 6. Mohan, V., et al.
                                                                    (2018). Cashew Nut Consumption Increases HDL Choles-
                 Weight Management                                  terol and Reduces Systolic Blood Pressure in Asian Indians
                 A randomized controlled trial from 2022 shed light on the   with Type 2 Diabetes: A 12-Week Randomized Controlled
                 potential effects of cashew consumption on body weight,   Trial. J Nutr. 148(1), 63-69.7. McGrowder, D., et al. (2011).
                 body composition, cardiometabolic markers and endothelial   The role of high-density lipoproteins in reducing the risk of
                 function. In this energy-restricted dietary intervention study,   vascular diseases, neurogenerative disorders, and cancer.
                 40 women at cardiometabolic risk were divided into two dif-  Cholesterol, 2011, 496925. 8. Caldas, A., et al. (2022). Brazil
                 ferent groups: 1) a control group that consumed no nuts, and   and cashew nuts intake improve body composition and
                 2) a group instructed to include 30 g of cashews and 15 g   endothelial health in women at cardiometabolic risk (Brazilian
                 of Brazil nuts daily in their diet. At the end of the eight- week   Nuts Study): A randomized controlled trial. Br J Nutr, 1-38.9.
                 study, the nut group had higher plasma selenium concentra-  Sahin, C., et al. (2022). Phenolic Lipids Derived from Cashew
                 tion, lower total body fat and improved lean mass percentage   Nut Shell Liquid to Treat Metabolic Diseases. JMed Chem,
                 compared to the control group. These findings suggest that   65(3), 1961-1978. 10. Souza, N.O, et al. (2021). Cashew nut
                 adding cashews and Brazil nuts to an energy-restricted diet   shell liquids: Antimicrobial compounds in prevention and
                 can be a healthy strategy for weight management.   control of the oral biofilms. Arch Oral Biol, 133, 105299. 11.
                                                                    Uliassi, E., et al. (2021). Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) as a
                 Beyond the Kernel                                  Source of Drugs for Alzheimer’s Disease. Molecules, 26(18),
                 Anacardium occidentale may be able to improve human   5441. 12. Akyereko, Y.G., et al. Nutritional value and health
                 health in ways that go beyond the cashew kernel itself.   benefits of cashew apple. JSFA Reports, 3(3), 110-118.
                 Researchers are working to unlock the potential of cashew
                 nut shell liquid (CNSL), a versatile by-product of the cashew   Source: NUTFRUIT, November 2023
                 industry. For example, scientists found that novel compounds   Courtesy: International Nut & Dried Fruit Council
                 derived from anacardic acid and cardanol- phenolic lipids   https://inc.nutfruit.org


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         Cashew healthy book-2023.indd   26                                                                      21-11-2023   14:37:43
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