NATIONAL CASHEW DAY

Tuesday, November 23

Many people regard cashews as the Rolls Royce of nuts, but they really aren't nuts at all, but seeds.  While the Thai, Indian, and Chinese use the cashews in their cuisines, it is actually native to Brazil and has been widely cultivated in India and Africa since the Portuguese introduced them there during the 16th century.

Also, did you know that parts of the cashew tree can be used for medicinal and manufacturing purposes. Acid from the cashew nutshells is  effective in healing tooth abscesses and the tree's seeds can be ground up into a powder used as an antivenom for snake bites. The oil from the nutshells is also used in making brake linings as well as in rubber and plastic materials. 

Snacking on cashews also provides several health benefits.

Heart healthy fats     Although all nuts are relatively high in fat, they're rich in heart healthy monounsaturated fats. Not only do they lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, but they help to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.  Cashews have one of the lowest overall fat contents of all of the common nuts and are a good source of oleic acid, the same fatty acid that makes olive oil so heart healthy.

Blood pressure lowering magnesium     A quarter cup of cashews supplies almost twenty-five percent of the daily requirement for magnesium. Magnesium plays an important role in maintaining a healthy blood pressure and is an important mineral for diabetics because it reduces insulin resistance. Studies have also shown that people who have low magnesium levels are at higher risk of heart disease. Like calcium, magnesium plays an important role in building and maintaining bone health.

They're a source of antioxidants     Antioxidants, those free radical scavengers that help to protect cells from damage, are found in abundance in cashews.

Help with weight control     Because cashews are high in protein, monounsaturated fats and fiber, they're both filling and satisfying. Studies have shown that people who eat nuts on a daily basis are less likely to gain weight and have a tendency to be thinner, on average, than those who don't.

They're rich in copper     Copper is a mineral that the body can't produce so copper rich foods such as cashews are required for good health. A quarter cup of cashews supplies a third of the daily requirement for copper which is needed for maintaining healthy collagen, a substance that lines blood vessels and supports the skin and joints. Copper is also important for helping the body use iron and for production of melanin, the pigment that gives hair its color.The versatile cashew is simply delicious, whether you like yours plain, salted, roasted, or covered in sugar or chocolate.  Enjoy a handful today.

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