Cashews are adored by all children. Still would! These nuts are softer than its “cousins” and incredibly tasty. But some adults are wary of cashews because of their high calorie content, not knowing that in moderation they are very valuable for health. The content of the article:
- Video about butchering nuts from the shell
- Ingredients: vitamins and calories
- The health benefits of cashews
- Harm and contraindications
Cashew nuts have long ceased to be exotic. Today it is the main ingredient in Asian cuisine. They appeared in Europe thanks to the Portuguese sailors. The homeland of cashews is Brazil. They are also called akazhu, Indian nut, and scientifically - Anacardium occidentale.
Photo from open sources A nut grows on trees. It is very unusual and consists of two parts: a nut, which looks like a curved drupe, and an edible peduncle (called a cashew apple). The fruits fall off as they ripen. You can meet cashews not only in South America, but also in India, Thailand, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Kenya and other warm countries.
Read the article: "How cashews grow and growing at home."
Cashews are propagated by seeds pre-soaked in water for a couple of days. In this case, the water is changed twice a day and, if it comes into contact with the skin, can cause severe burns. The seeds are then planted in separate containers. The first shoots appear in 2-3 weeks, the first fruits - 2 years after sowing.
© Photo: Ivan Blichfeldt The Russian consumer is unlikely to be able to appreciate the taste of cashew apples, because after falling off they quickly deteriorate. Apples are pear-shaped, 7-10 cm long and 5 cm in diameter. Their peel is orange, red or yellow, the flesh is astringent, yellow, slightly fibrous, but very juicy. They are best consumed fresh, but local housewives use the juice to make jelly, wine and refreshing drinks.
If you happen to see cashews growing on a tree, don't rush to try them! When biting, a bitter oily liquid flows out - cardol, which, on contact with the skin, forms painful blistering burns. That's why you can't find inshell cashews on sale! They are cut strictly by hand: the shell is removed, and poisonous harmful oils are dried during heat treatment. A rather painstaking process! But even the most experienced cleaners can get burned.
Video about cutting cashew nuts from the shell:
Despite this danger, all parts of the plant are used: from the seed shells, the medicinal cardoil oil (I think oil) is obtained, the seeds themselves are used as valuable nuts, and the apples, I think, are like fruits. Even the trunks of old trees are suitable - from them gum is obtained (polymers of monosaccharides used in industry and medicine). Interestingly, in Africa, cashews are used as an intoxicant and tattooed with it, and in Brazil they are used as a food supplement to increase potency. We add them to pastries, sauces, first and second courses, salads or serve fried with salt as an appetizer to beer, cocktails, wines. Many people love sweetened nuts, despite the high calorie content, they perfectly complement fruit and vegetable salads, various desserts, cereals, ice cream, they are also fried with honey and get a delicious healthy treat.
Cashew nuts: vitamins and calories
Delicate cashews may taste very oily and greasy, but they have no more fat than peanuts, walnuts, or almonds. But there are much more useful substances: proteins, starch, dietary fiber, B vitamins (B1, B2, B3 "read which foods contain B3", B5, B6, B9), ascorbic acid, vitamin E. They are rich in useful minerals: iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc.
Calorie content of cashew nuts
per 100 g - 643 kcal:
- Proteins - 25.5 g
- Fat - 53.6 g
- Carbohydrates - 12.6 g
The health benefits of cashews
According to research by Japanese experts, cashew kernels are rich in beneficial properties that counteract harmful bacteria that destroy enamel. That is why in African countries, healers use a mixture of crushed cashews to lubricate the mouth when they are treated with gum and dental diseases. In the same place, cashew oil is used to scare away gadflies, horseflies and other blood-sucking insects, and women - as a natural moisturizer for dry skin of the face and body.
Cashews are also useful as an aphrodisiac. It contains a lot of tocopherol, which has a beneficial effect on the reproductive function of not only men, but also women who want to get pregnant.
Eating nuts is recommended for the prevention and treatment of skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema, dry dandruff and other ailments caused by metabolic disorders. For a long time, the decoction of the shell has been used to get rid of warts, cracks in the skin, and various dermatitis.
The beneficial properties of cashews are invaluable for strengthening the human immune system. So, regular and moderate use can stabilize the level of cholesterol in the blood, and you will not be afraid of various infectious diseases and mass epidemics.
What else is the use of these unusual nuts? At home, a decoction is made from them, which helps in the treatment of respiratory diseases - asthma, bronchitis, flu and other inflammations. They are characterized by antiseptic, antibacterial, tonic and antimicrobial properties. It is useful to include cashews in the diet of patients with diabetes mellitus, gastrointestinal diseases, dysentery, as well as disorders of the heart and blood vessels.
The main difference between cashews and most plant foods is the presence of a large amount of phosphorus. And it is simply necessary for those who do not like fish, vegetarians or those who are fasting. It is enough to eat up to 50 g per day to make up for the deficiency of this useful microelement. If we compare cashews with ginger and echinacea, then these nuts do not harm the body - they do not raise blood pressure.
Cashews in cosmetology:
the nuts are used to prepare tightening masks for the neck and décolleté area. To do this, 200 g of nuts are soaked for 4 hours in cold water, after which the mixture is ground with a blender, a little parsley is added. The mask is laid out between layers of gauze, applied to the neck and décolleté.
Cashew hazards and contraindications
Keep in mind that cashews are high in calories, and if you do not want to gain weight, eat no more than 50 g per day. Therefore, many ladies completely exclude it from their diet, but in vain. Despite the fact that these nuts are on the list of "harmful" foods for the figure, just a handful a day can improve health by filling the body with a bunch of healthy vitamins.
Another harm, or rather a contraindication for some people, is a possible allergy. For some, it manifests itself as symptoms of a common cold - cough, runny nose, swelling of the mucous membrane. Therefore, be careful: if, after a handful of eaten nuts, you have such signs, immediately contact an allergist! Cashews are also not recommended for people with liver and kidney disease.
