Go nuts for cashew nuts–they’re GREAT for your health!
Turns out they’re as healthy as they are tasty! Check out these awesome health benefits of cashews:
- Heart Smart — Cashews are a fairly low-fat nut, but they contain A LOT of healthy fiber. They’re also rich in oleic acid, which helps to protect your heart. You’ll find they contain many of the antioxidants found in almond and peanuts, and they will reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Fight Cancer — The nuts are rich in proanthocyanins, a form of antioxidants that have been proven effective at stopping tumor cell division. Cashews are also rich in copper, which aids in the fight against cancer cells–particularly colon cancer!
- Reduce Blood Pressure –– All nuts contain magnesium, which is beneficial for those who have high blood pressure. The magnesium in cashews will help to lower your blood pressure, reducing your risk of heart disease. This certainly is one of the more soothing health benefits of cashews, we say!
- Promotes Healthy Bones — Most people think of calcium as being the #1 nutrient for bone health, but magnesium is another overlooked bone-friendly mineral. Without magnesium, your bones would become soft and weak. Thankfully, cashews are an excellent source of this awesome mineral.
- Enriches Hair –– Copper is one of the minerals your body needs to grow healthy hair, and you can get a good deal of copper from cashews. The copper helps to give your hair its dark, richness that keeps it protected from damage.
READ MORE: Roasted Chili Lime Cashew Recipe
- Aids in Nerve Function –– Without magnesium, your nerve function would be greatly reduced. Cashews provide your body with all the magnesium needed to keep the calcium in your body in check, ensuring that your nerve cells are healthy and protected from excess calcium.
- Prevent Gallstone Formation — Gallstones are far less common than kidney stones, but they’re no less dangerous. Studies have shown that eating a single ounce of nuts PER WEEK have a much lower chance (25%) of gallstones forming, so eating just a few handfuls of cashews can keep your gallbladder healthy and strong!
- Prevent Weight Gain –– Gaining weight is the LAST thing most people want, especially when they’re struggling to lose their extra pounds. Studies have proven that eating cashews (and other nuts) reduces the risk of weight gain by up to 31%. Just eating nuts twice a week is a great way to stop yourself from packing on more pounds!
- Improve Skin Health –– Cashews contain copper, a nutrient that is needed for the production of melanin. Melanin is just the fancy name for the pigment cells that give your hair and skin color, which is essentially protection from the sun. The more copper you consume in your daily diet, the more pigment your skin will produce–keeping it healthy and protected! Copper also helps your skin to produce more collagen and elastin, the two proteins that keep your skin fresh, elastic, and hydrated.
- Reduce Muscle Soreness — When you don’t get enough copper in your diet, the risk of muscle spasms increases drastically. You may find yourself suffering from muscle cramps and soreness due to a lack of magnesium (similar to what happens when you don’t get enough potassium), so eating more magnesium-rich foods like cashews is the best way to reduce muscle soreness and cramps.
All pretty great reasons to eat more cashews, right?
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