Health benefits of cashews

 

Cashews are a type of nut with a soft consistency and sweet flavor.

They are native to South America, specifically Brazil, and were introduced by colonists to Africa and India. These regions are the largest producers of cashews today. Cashews are sold both raw or roasted, and salted or unsalted.

Cashews have recently been used to make dairy alternatives, such as cashew milk, cashew-based cheese and cashew-based cream sauces and sour cream.

Benefits

Consuming a high proportion of plant-based foods appears to reduce the risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions.

Gallstones

According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, frequent nut consumption is associated with a reduced risk of needing surgery to remove the gallbladder.

In over a million people documented over a time span of 20 years, women who consumed more than 5 ounces of nuts a week had a significantly lower risk of cholecystectomy than women who ate less than 1 ounce of nuts each week.

Bone health

Severe copper deficiency is associated with lower bone mineral density and an increased risk of osteoporosis. More research is needed, however, on the effects of marginal copper deficiency and the potential benefits of copper supplementation for prevention and management of osteoporosis.