Cashew nuts are a great superfood, packed with phytonutrients, trace minerals, and other important compounds that are vital for good health. In fact, they are so good for you they can reduce the risk of heart disease, and prevent gallstones. Cashew nuts protect your bones, help control weight and may even assist in preventing colon cancer.

Cashew Nuts are a great source of Minerals and much more...

Cashew nuts are incredibly full of many nutrients your body needs, including:

• Protein
• Iron
• Copper
• Manganese
• Magnesium
• Selenium

Of these, Copper is responsible for normal red blood cell formation and making sure your connective tissues stay healthy. Just a ¼ cup of cashews provides almost 40% of your daily Copper requirement. Getting enough Copper in your diet has also been shown to reduce the chance of developing colon cancer. Copper also helps to prevent:

• Osteoporosis
• Anaemia
• Joint problems
• Anaemia
• Irregular heartbeat

Cashew Nuts Keep Your Bones Strong and  Nerves Healthy

Rich in both Magnesium and Calcium, cashew nuts also keep bones strong. These two important minerals keep your nerve cells from over-firing, with one being a check-and-balance system for the other. With too much Calcium in your bloodstream, problems can develop, but the Magnesium in cashew nuts makes sure to moderate that Calcium. The same nerve support provided by cashew nuts also

• Prevents migraine headaches
• Relieves muscle tension
• Reduces asthma attacks

Cashew Nuts Keep Your Weight Down

It may seem counterintuitive to eat nuts when you are worried about keeping your weight down, but cashew nuts are actually great for preventing weight gain. They are full of fibre and the fats in cashew nuts are good fats that help to regulate your metabolism. The fibre helps you to stay full and the healthy fats are good for your skin, hair, nails and waistline.

Cashews Prevent Gallstones

Cashew nuts have been shown to reduce gallstones. By eating just one serving of cashews a week, over 80,000 women tested (in the Nurses' Health Study) developed fewer gallstones.

Cashew Nuts are full of Healthy Fats and Magnesium for Heart Health

• Oleic Acid Cashew nuts contain monounsaturated Oleic Acid, an important Omega-9 fatty acid. This type of fat keeps your heart healthy by reducing the number of triglycerides in your blood. If your triglycerides are too high, you may develop heart disease.

• Magnesium Cashews have high levels of Magnesium, which is an important nutrient to help lower blood pressure and allow your heart and blood vessels to relax. (It is usually also the first thing that paramedics administer when a person has had a suspected heart attack).

• Antioxidants Due to the high levels of antioxidants found in cashew nuts, they are a great way to prevent heart disease. Two different medical studies, one from the Iowa Women’s Study and another from the Nurses’ Health Study, found that participants who ate four servings of nuts per week lowered their chances of having a heart attack by 37%.

Eating a handful of cashew nuts four times week or more is a good and tasty way to maintain cardiovascular health and therefore lower your risk of heart problems. Organic cashews are naturally best and they taste much better than the regular ones too! Cashew nuts are a good way to ensure that you are getting enough vital nutrients, including antioxidants, trace minerals and fibre.  Stop by Mr Vitamins and ‘ask a Naturopath’ about the best way to make Cashews a part of your diet, and pick up some organic cashews while you're there.