The Cashew Nut Dry Fruit
The majority of people in Pakistan think of the cashew nut, or the ‘kaju’ as it is known locally, as an extravagant or otherwise indulgent dry fruit that is not to be eaten on the regular. The uniquely attractive shape and taste, as well as the very high price point, usually tends to be the major reason that most people consider this dry fruit not much more than an indulgence.
But the reality is that this dry fruit has many different health benefits like other dry fruits, so it should not be ignored when it comes to caring for your health in winter. The cashew nut contains many different nutrients that are a great help in improving the health of the individual.
In this blog, we will tell you just some of the health benefits that you can get from eating cashew nuts.
Cashew Nut Price
One of the major reasons that many people in Pakistan do not end up consuming cashew nuts regularly is that they form a more luxurious opinion of dry fruit.
The current 1 kg kaju price in Pakistan revolves around Rs 4000/-. As you can see, this price point for snack food or topping is way above the affordability of the average person in Pakistan. Most middle-class or lower people rarely ever even get to eat this dry fruit nowadays. This is a major reason that people often do not even think about the health benefits of this dry fruit.
Cashew Nut Benefits
Now we will tell you about some of the benefits that a person is able to achieve from the consumption of this dry fruit.
Cashews are a good source of Protein.
One of the biggest benefits of some of the nuts in the dry fruit category is that they contain a good amount of protein in them. Protein is one of the fundamental building blocks of the body and is essential for the health of not just your muscles but even your joints and bones.
Not only that, protein is also an essential part of the body repair process that your body goes through to recover from any sort of physical degradation, whether through damage or exhaustion. This means that protein is an essential part of a healthy diet.
People who are on vegan or vegetarian diets can add cashew nuts or other nuts to their diets to fulfill their regular protein requirements.
Cashews have a lot of Healthy Fats.
One of the most common misconceptions is that eating cashew nuts can make the person fat. This is not exactly the full picture. Cashew nuts do contain a good amount of fat, but the fact is that this kind of fat is technically good for you.
The kind of fat that is inside cashew nuts is mono and polyunsaturated fat. These kinds of fat, as opposed to saturated fat, actually help to control and manage the level of cholesterol in your body, as well as maintain cell health.
While the amount of saturated fat in cashew nuts is small, it isn’t non-existent. What this simply means is that you can eat cashew nuts without much issue; you just have to make sure you do not go overboard.
Cashews help people on a Diet.
A great thing about cashew nuts that actually shows that people looking to manage their weight should eat them is that they are known to be helpful for people on a diet. The reason for this is that they help you to feel more satiated and for longer.
Feeling satiated basically means that you do not feel hungry for much longer. The combination of protein in cashew nuts combined with the fiber in it is what gives it this effect. Protein is known to be the main cause of making you feel satiated. While fiber is a nutrient that slows down and controls the absorption of nutrients in your body, what this means is that as the protein (and just the food in general) is absorbed at a slower rate, its satiating effect is maintained for longer.
This shows that cashew nuts can actually be helpful for losing weight rather than being a cause of weight gain, as long as you maintain balance, as stated previously.
Cashews support your Mental Health.
A great thing about cashews is that they are great not only for your physical health but also for maintaining your mental health. Cashew nuts contain a decent amount of the amino acid tryptophan.
The amino acid tryptophan is one of the major components in the creation and promotion of serotonin in your body. Serotonin is the main chemical that controls your mood, sleep quality, overall level of happiness and satisfaction, and even physical attraction.
The oil content in cashew nuts also means it contains a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which are a major contributor to brain function, brain health, and gray matter density, and it slows down the onset of brain degradation due to age.
Conclusion
The cashew nut, like any other dry fruit, is a great source of health for the majority of people. Unfortunately, the very high cashew nuts price in Pakistan makes it very difficult for most people to enjoy the benefits of this great food.
