Focus on Food: Cashews!

If I had to choose one salty snack out of the trail mix or mixed nut bowl, I would choose a cashew every single time. Simultaneously buttery, crunchy, and nutty, cashews are always a welcome addition to my snack bag. On this first in a series of food focus posts (after an incredibly long hiatus from my blog), I'll be taking a closer look at the cashew, Anacardium occidentale. 



DID YOU KNOW? Cashews are actually not nuts, but the seeds that stick to the bottom of the cashew apple, the fruit of the cashew true that grows native to Brazil but is now found in many parts of the world. (In Brazil, the cashew apple is considered a yummy treat but is not appreciated here in North America)
 
100g of cashews contain 553 calories and nearly 44g of fat. What this doesn't account for is the fact that 75% of those fats are heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fatty acids called oleic acids. Oleic acids, the same fatty acids found in olive oil, are known to help reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels and improve overall cardiovascular health. 

100g of cashews contain 2.195mg of copper, 244% of your RDA! Why is copper so important? Copper is a co-factor for many enzymes in your body, meaning that it works along with them to help them work more efficiently. You need these enzyme co-factors, or helpers, in order to make sure all the enzymatic functions in your body, which encompass your overall metabolism, are running simultaneously and smoothly. Copper is especially important as a co-factor for many anti-oxidants which we all know are important in the fight against aging and cancer. Copper deficiency has been linked to increased fecal free radicals (cancer causers) and fecal water alkaline phosphatase activity (indicator of bone or liver disease). [Want to know more about free-radicals and anti-oxidants? Read here.] Copper also acts as a co-factor for the enzymes responsible for linking collagen and elastin in your blood vessels and joints, keeping you mobile and flexible into your later years. Additionally, when copper levels are low then we risk experiencing anemia, irregular heartbeats, osteoporosis, joint problems, arthritis, elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol, lowered HDL (good) cholesterol, brain disturbances, ruptured blood vessels, and increased susceptibility to infection. For more info on copper, read here.

100g of cashews containts 19.9micrograms of selenium, 36% of your RDA. Selenium is an important enzyme co-factor, that codes for selenoprotein enzymes that work to reduce free-radicals (cancer causers). Selenium is also required for thyroid function, vision health, liver function, tissue elasticity, skin and hair production, production of white blood cells, breaking down fats, and protecting against toxic minerals. Studies are also being conducted to show selenium's role in the production and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier that separates and protects our most vital organ from everything going on around it. Where else can you find selenium? Brazil nuts provide the biggest source, followed by organ meats, fish, muscle meats, poultry, and eggs. The selenium content of plants is dictated mostly by the soil it's grown in so the amount varies, but there is typically a high amount in most nuts and also in long-grain brown rice, oats, and bran (read here for full list). 
  
100g of cashews contain 292mg of magnesium, 73% of your RDA. We all know that calcium is important but did you know that calcium is important for healthy bones and teeth, but did you know that calcium can have negative interactions with your nerves, causing them to enervate the surrounding muscles and blood vessels? Enter magnesium, who saves the day by preventing calcium from overtaking your CNS (central nervous system) by blocking the calcium channels. When magnesium is deficient, and calcium is allowed to run rampant, then it leads to high blood pressure, muscle spasms, sleep disturbances, and breathing and heart-rate irregularities. All of this points to cardiovascular disease, which as you know is one of the leading causes of death in North America. Magnesium also works on its own by acting as an enzyme co-factor for the breakdown of carbohydrates, but more importantly, has been shown to work in the creation of insulin which is responsible for our glucose levels in our blood and is a main issue for those suffering with diabetes. For more information on magnesium, or a list of other foods containing this mineral, read here.

100g of cashews contain 0.417mg of pyridoxine, 32% of your RDA. Pyridoxine, vitamin B-6, is responsible for many metabolic functions in your body as a whole, but is specifically known to reduce the risk of homocystinuria, a metabolic disease that presents very few system but can lead to eventual multi-systemic failure (read more here). Pyridoxine deficiency, though less severe, can present itself with symptoms such as irritability, confusion, and other neurological symptoms as well as anemia. 

100g of cashews contain 1.062mg of niacin, 6.5% of your RDA. I know it's only 6.5%, but I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about niacin. Niacin, vitamin B-3, has been a long-hidden treatment for many mental illnesses including but not limited to depression and anxiety. Niacin is also used for treatment of heart disease as it lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol, and elevates HDL (good) cholesterol, and increases the creation of prostaglandins that reduce inflammation. The prostaglandin-creating ability of niacin has also been shown to help alleviate the symptoms of arthritis and migraine headaches. The medical profession has long denied the power of vitamins, but niacin in doses of 1000mg daily is shown to treat so many mental "disorders" without any proven risks whatsoever. Read more about niacin here. 

So go ahead and enjoy your cashews, but like all things with high levels of fat, make sure you enjoy in moderation. Remember, that cashews, like other nuts, can go rancid so they are best stored in cool dry places (I keep mine in the freezer). Also, cashews are still tree nuts so they can cause adverse allergic reactions for some people.