Local Food #4 Cashew and its benefit

Local food #4 Cashew nuts and benefits –“

Chew the cashew”

Why discuss about cashew nuts?

Cashew nut or Kaju is known especially for enhancing taste. In India, it is widely used in pulav, biriyani, sweets. Cashew nuts paste is used for thickening of curry gravy. It surely enhances the taste but it is being blamed by some. Blame is for – increasing cholesterol, bad for diabetic patients, increasing weight and much more blame. The same blame is not for almond, pistachio, and walnut. The truth is each and every nut has its property. All the nuts are good for our health. So, let’s chew the cashew.

Let’s talk about production of nuts In India –

Almond –

The production is in hilly areas only like Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Walnut-

It is produced in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.

Pistachio –

The best and the natural location for this nut is Jammu & Kashmir. 

Cashew nut –

Cashew nut production is in Maharastra, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, West Bengal, Chhatisgarh, and Gujarat.

My question is - Have you ever searched the top 10 producing countries for different nuts!

For your kind information India is not in the highest producing country for almond, pistachio, and walnut. If you find the same for Cashew nuts then you will find India in the third position worldwide. Cashew nut is the only nut highly producing in many parts of India and transported in a huge amount. In the other hand, other nuts (except cashew nut) are produced in northern hilly areas of India but the quantity of production is not high. Because of that many parts of India do not get the Indian products rather we get foreign products (Example- California almond, pistachio etc.). Most of us are blaming more which is available in our locality. Strange isn’t it! Why does that happen? I think it is because of the research quality. The United States reputed research institutes show the benefits of Almond, walnut and pistachio in their population and Indians follow that information. In the other hand, India does the same type of research for nuts but not for cashew nuts. We have to understand that the United States and India are two different localities and the former country is in the top for producing other nuts. So, don’t blame your local nut rather spread the knowledge and enhance the chances for researching on cashew nuts.

Localities of Cashew nuts in India-

In the above paragraph I have written the names of states known for cashew nut production. It is very local to tropical and sub-tropical regions.

Cashew nuts-

The name of the tree is cashew nut tree and the scientific name is Anacardium occidentale. The trees can be tall or short. The average height of the tall tree is about 46 feet and the average height of the short tree is of 20 feet. The short cashew trees are considered as best for yielding. The short cashew trees mature early and gain more profits. Cashew tree gives us cashew nut and also juicy cashew apple. Cashew nut is attached to the seed and hangs out from the cashew apple. It has a hard covering. It undergoes processing to break the hard covering and we get the soft nuts in our hand. It is white in colour and kidney-shaped nut. The taste of cashew nut is the mixture of sweet, salty and buttery flavour. Kaju trees help in forestation and soil conservation.

Properties of Kaju -

-It is rich in vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, magnesium.

-It is rich in tryptophan amino acid.

-It is also rich in copper, iron.

-It has a low glycemic index, rich in fibres, rich in essential fatty acids.

-Cashew nuts are also a rich source of protein and fat and contain an appreciable amount of iron. Per 100-gram cashew nut –

Energy-596

Protein-21.2

Fat-46.9

Carbohydrate-22.3

Calcium-50

Iron-5.8

Thiamin (Vitamin B1)-0.63

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)-0.19

Niacin (Vitamin B3)-1.2

(Per 100-gram cashew nut information is from the nutrition and dietetics book)

Benefits of Kaju and its parts–

-It helps in producing serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone released inside our body. This hormone is helpful for creating happiness in our mind. So, it is known as a happy hormone. It means eating cashew nuts indirectly make us happy.

-The combination of tryptophan and vitamin B acts as an antidepressant. So, this is a good replacement for dark chocolates. Isn’t it!

-It acts as an anti-ageing agent, prevents plaque build-up and lowers blood pressure.

-Cashew leaves are great for oral health. Chew those leaves or boil and gargle the water.

-Cashew fruit is an immunity booster and great treatment for bloating. It is lactose-free, gluten-free, vegan. Cashew apples are rich in vitamin C. It has five times higher vitamin C than an orange. These are also a good source of vitamins and minerals.  It is rich in iron, calcium and phosphorous.

-Neero is the virgin juice of cashew. It is a kind of immunity booster drink.

-Good heart health. It lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

-It prevents cancer.

-It helps in the maintenance of hair growth and healthy skin.

Side effects of Kaju –

There are no such side effects of Kaju. But some people face allergies.

Name of some allergies –

Problem in breathing

Nasal congestion

Nausea

Diarrhoea

Abdominal cramps

What if we start eating cashew nuts in a higher amount?

Then it will be harmful to your health. In the first paragraph, I have written about the blame game. In this time the blames will become true. Higher consumption of Kaju can lead to

Weight gain, increase in your cholesterol level. But if you eat Kaju in small amounts daily or eat with other nuts in small amounts then this will give you more benefit. For diabetic patients, eating Kaju in small amounts bring no harm. It is okay for them to eat because it is low in carbohydrate.

Recommendation for eating Kaju –

(This suggestion is for healthy people not for allergic people)

There is no such answer for eating how many Kaju! But if you google the question then it will give you the information about eating all the nuts that are of 30 g of nuts. The effects will be more when it consumes with other nuts. If you want to eat only Kaju then four to five Kaju per day is a good option.

"Chew the Cashew"