Cashew Nut Kernels

Cashew Nut Kernels – Nutritional Profile

Cashew nuts are usually roasted as part of the process to remove the caustic cashew balm and a 35g portion (one quarter of a cup) provides 189 calories and 37% of the recommended daily allowance of copper, 29% manganese, 28% tryptophan,, 25% magnesium, 20% phosphorous.

A 100g portion will also contain 44g fat of which 30g is unsaturated and 18g of protein.  It will also  provide a significant amount of B group vitamins including thiamine (37% rda), riboflavin (5% rda), niacin (7% rda), vitamin B5 (17% rda) and folate (6% rda).

There is a generous amount of minerals which includes iron (51% rda) magnesium (82% rda) phosphorous (14% rda) potassium (14% rda) sodium (1&rda) and zinc (61%)

Cashew Nut Kernels  – Health Benefits

Cashew nuts have a lower fat content than most nuts and nearly 75% of that fat is unsaturated fat containing olenic acid which has been shown to be effective in promoting health cardiovascular systems.

Research in Britain has identified that the antioxidant properties of nuts such as cashews is key to maintaining good cardiovascular health.  A study in America showed that eating nuts like cashews four times  a week could reduce the risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease by as much as 37% and that each additional serving saw a further 8% reduction in risk.

per is shown to be important in the production of enzymes associated with producing flexible blood vessel s and joints.  Copper promotes the function of ling important for ysyl oxidase which plays a role in the production of collagen and elastin which are important constituents of both body components.

Calcium is widely known as being important to bones but  magnesium is also important.  Nearly 70% of the bodies magnesium is stored in bones.  It is important because it regulates nerve activity and keeps nerve fibres healthy.  Studies have shown the link between low levels of magnesium and high blood pressure and muscle spasms and just one quarter of a cup of cashew nuts contains enough calcium to prevent either conditions occurring.

Nuts such as cashews have been linked with lower incidence of gall stones.   A regular portion of an ounce of cashew nuts can be enough to reduce the incidence of gallstones by up to 25%.

Nuts are widely known to be high fat foods and thought to be wrong when dieting.  A recent study in the journal obesity over two years observed almost 9,000 adult men and women in Spain.  The study found that those eating nuts twice a week were 31% less likely to put on weight compared to those who ate no nuts.

Cashew Nut Kernels – Product History

Cashew nuts were originally native to the northern jungles of South America but now they are grown across many tropical climates with India as the world’s major producer.

The plant is a small evergreen tree that grows a pseudocarp fruit, the cashew apple.  The cashew apple matures to have a strong sweet flavour and it is very juicy with a delicate skin which makes it unsuitable for transporting to distant markets.  They are regarded as delicacies locally to where they are grown.  A single cashew nut forms in a drupe under the fruit.

Cashew nuts require processing because as they are harvested they are wrapped in a caustic skin that must be removed.  Once removed the resulting resin is used the production of varnishes.  The roasting process requires strict control as it produces anacardic acid in the smoke and this can prove fatal if breathed in.