Today is Cashew day! Yes, there’s a day dedicated to cashew. We swear. Google it up! Anyway, we thought this was a good excuse to tell you a few things about the awesomeness of the cashew nut! Here we go:
- Cashews are originally from Brazil but nowadays the three top cashew-consuming countries in the world are India (also the biggest growers), the US and Germany.
- Cashews are extremely nutritious and are packed with protein and essential minerals including iron, zinc, magnesium and copper. In fact, cashew contains 5 times the amount of zinc found in chicken breast!
- Zinc is important because it helps our immune system work properly, plays a role in maintaining a healthy skin, aids in preventing cell damage in the retina, is essential to male sexual health and also has antioxidant properties!
- Cashews are always heated, boiled, or steamed before they're shelled because they contain a toxic oil similar to anacardic acid or urushiol that can irritate the skin. You don’t have to worry though, the processed cashews you buy at the store don’t contain this toxin at all!
- The shell of the cashew seed yields derivatives that can be used in many applications including lubricants, waterproofing, paints, and even arms production during World War II.
- The cashew tree grows in tropical areas around the world, and it’s a pretty interesting tree. It grows a “fake” fruit that’s kind of similar to an apple (and it’s pretty popular too, but only locally since it’s too sensitive to be delivered anywhere else) and the real fruit, the cashew, grows from the edge of that fake fruit 🍎
- Some people are allergic to cashews, but cashews are a less frequent allergen than some other nuts.
This post was written with the aid of a professional nutritionist.
