Indeed, winter is the time to eat nutritious foods, which helps to keep the body warm and healthy. Nuts are one of these nutritious foods and are recommended for regular consumption. However, when choosing what to eat among many varieties, people often think that “healthy nuts” are limited to almonds or walnuts. Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar explained in an Instagram post that this is not the case, cashews are a product of India and Africa, and even without better performance, they are as good as almonds and walnuts. But doctors and nutritionists still recommend almonds and walnuts instead of cashews because they contain cholesterol. Divekar further added, how the fruit of the nut is six times richer in vitamin C than an orange. In addition to boosting immunity, vitamin C also has cardioprotective effects. Nutrition can make the joints and heart-healthy. Cashew nuts have no cholesterol, and also are rich in minerals.
A study in the Journal of Nutrition and Diseases concluded that consumption of cashew nut reduced systolic blood pressure and increased HDL cholesterol in Asian Indians with ‘Type 2’ diabetes. Based on a 12-week trial, the researchers provided a cashew nut concentrated diet or a typical diabetic diet to 300 ‘Type 2’ diabetic participants and noted how nuts do not have any “detrimental effects” on body weight, blood glucose, or other lipid variables; rather it regulates the blood sugar. There are several benefits of cashew nuts. Micronutrients such as potassium, vitamin E, B6, and folic acid can prevent heart disease.
Over 75% of the fat in cashews is oleic acid, also known as monounsaturated fat, which is good for heart health. A controlled portion of cashews helps to lose weight. Not only cashews, all nuts are high in calories, which is why they need to be consumed in proportion. Cashews are a good source of dietary fiber and help to digest food. Excessive consumption may cause bloating and large intestinal gas production. Consumption of nuts like cashews is linked to a decline in the incidence of several digestive diseases. Cashew nuts are known to help use iron properly and eliminate free radicals that would otherwise cause health problems. However, increased cashew intake (more than a few) increases a person’s calorie intake, which may increase the risk of allergies and oxalates (excessive oxalates can cause kidney stones).
