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Health Line
27-05-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Are Cashews Good for You? Nutrition, Benefits, and Downsides
Cashews are rich in nutrients and may offer several health benefits, such as promoting heart health, preventing blood sugar spikes, and more. Cashews are kidney-shaped seeds sourced from the cashew tree, a tropical tree native to Brazil but now cultivated in various warm climates worldwide. While 'raw' cashews are widely sold, truly raw cashews are not safe to eat, as they contain a substance known as urushiol, found in poison ivy. Urushiol is toxic, and contact with it can trigger a skin reaction in some people. Cashew kernels are cooked in processing to remove this toxic liquid, and the resulting product is sold as 'raw.' Although people often refer to them as tree nuts, cashews are really seeds. They're rich in nutrients and beneficial plant compounds and make for an easy addition to many dishes. This article reviews the nutrition, benefits, and downsides of cashews to determine whether they're good for you. Cashew nutrition Cashews are rich in a range of nutrients. A 1 ounce (oz), or 28 gram (g), serving of unroasted, unsalted cashews provides the following: Calories: 157 Protein: 5.16 g Fat: 12.4 g Carbs: 8.56 g Fiber: 0.9 g Copper: 0.6 milligrams (mg) Magnesium: 82.8 mg Manganese: 0.4 mg Zinc: 1.6 mg Phosphorus: 168 mg Iron: 1.8 mg Selenium: 5.6 micrograms (µg) Thiamin: 0.1 mg Vitamin K: 9.6 µg Vitamin B6: 0.1 mg Cashews contain unsaturated fats, a category of fats linked to a lower risk of heart disease. In addition, cashews contain a significant amount of copper, a mineral essential for: energy production healthy brain development strong immune system Contain beneficial plant compounds Cashews are a source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are beneficial plant compounds that keep your body healthy by neutralizing damage-causing molecules known as free radicals. In turn, this helps reduce inflammation and increases your body's ability to stay healthy and free from disease. Cashews are also a source of polyphenols and carotenoids, two classes of antioxidants also found in other tree nuts. Roasted cashews may be particularly beneficial, as they appear to have an increased antioxidant activity compared with their 'raw' counterparts. That said, the number of cashew-specific studies is limited, and more research is necessary. May help with weight loss Some research is starting to link nut-rich diets to greater weight loss and overall lower body weights compared with nut-free diets. Research from 2018 suggests that the human body may only digest and absorb some of the calories in cashews. This is likely because a portion of the fat they contain remains trapped within the cashew's fibrous wall rather than being absorbed during digestion. On the other hand, roasting nuts may increase your body's ability to fully digest them, thereby increasing the number of calories the body absorbs. As a result, weight loss benefits may be strongest for whole, 'raw' cashews, though more research is necessary to confirm this. May improve heart health Diets rich in nuts, including cashews, have links with fewer cases of cardiovascular disease. A few studies have focused on the specific heart health benefits of cashews. A 2019 study found that people with type 2 diabetes who consumed 10% of their daily calories from cashews had lower LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratios than those who ate no cashews at all. However, a 2019 review shows conflicting results. It suggests that regular intake of cashews may lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels, but the review found no effect on total, LDL, or HDL cholesterol levels. While cashews may benefit heart health as with other nuts, more research is necessary to confirm this. May be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes People with type 2 diabetes may benefit from adding cashews to their diet. That's in part because cashews are a source of fiber, a nutrient that helps prevent blood sugar spikes and which may help protect against type 2 diabetes. Studies looking at the effects of cashews on blood sugar levels are limited. However, in a 2019 study, people with type 2 diabetes who ate 10% of their daily calories from cashews had overall lower insulin levels than those who ate no cashews at all. Speak with a doctor for more information about the possible benefits for people with type 2 diabetes or for protecting against the condition. Easy to add to your diet Cashews are very easy to add to your diet. You can eat them 'raw' or roasted. They make an easy portable snack. You can incorporate whole or ground cashews into a variety of dishes, ranging from scrambled tofu and stir fries, to soup, salads, and stews. Cashew butter is another way to add cashews to your diet. Spread it on toast or stir it into yogurt or oatmeal. You can also process cashew butter together with oats and your favorite dried fruit to make homemade, bake-free energy balls. You can also soak cashews and blend them together with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to make your own dairy-free sour cream or cream cheese. Use these to add flavor to meals or make dairy-free versions of your favorite desserts. Potential downsides of cashews Cashews are generally a safe addition to most people's diets. Keep in mind that roasted or salted cashews can contain high levels of added oils or salt. For this reason, it may be best to opt for unsalted dry roasted or 'raw' (unroasted) varieties instead. Cashews are classified as tree nuts. Therefore, people allergic to tree nuts, such as almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, or hazelnuts, may have a higher risk of also being allergic to cashews. It is also possible to be allergic to one tree nut. This means that you may have a cashew nut allergy but you are not allergic to other nuts. Seek immediate medical help if signs of an allergic reaction develop. These can include, but are not limited to, the following: breathing problems swelling of the tongue, mouth, or throat rash coughing dizziness confusion pale or blueish skin
CNA
09-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
BASF's agriculture arm eyes seeds and Asia as it prepares for listing
BASF's agriculture unit is aiming to expand in Asia and global seed markets as it prepares for a stock market listing in about two years, a senior executive told Reuters. The German industrial chemicals giant has said that its Agricultural Solutions unit should be ready by 2027 for an initial public offering that could see BASF sell a minority stake in the maker of pesticides and seeds. "We aim to further increase our share of revenue from seeds. We are at close to 22 per cent and we want to move more towards 25 per cent," Livio Tedeschi, the division's president, told Reuters. Among new products underpinning that ambition, BASF is working on hybrid wheat, an approach that has for years been pursued by the industry to boost wheat yields, and new soy variants that resist pests such as soil roundworms. Tedeschi said this was a high strategic priority and it could be supported by collaboration deals and small acquisitions. A particular geographic focus across products including crop chemicals and digital services was Asia, he added. "When measured by market share, we are under-represented in Asia. We want to increase our market share," said Tedeschi. BASF's agriculture business, among the four largest industry players alongside Syngenta, Bayer and Corteva, posted global 2024 sales of 9.8 billion euros ($11.1 billion), with Asia accounting for 11.6 per cent of that. From North America, Europe and South America it derived 39.8 per cent, 24.6 per cent and 24 per cent of sales, respectively. Parent BASF last week said it was facing high levels of uncertainty from U.S. tariffs and other countries' reactions to them, but reaffirmed its earnings guidance for lack of clearer economic indicators. Tedeschi added that BASF's decision to separate the agriculture unit from the rest of the business gave the unit more autonomy and would allow it to sustain research and development spending at 9 per cent-10 per cent of sales. ($1 = 0.8836 euros)
Reuters
09-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
BASF's agriculture arm eyes seeds and Asia as it prepares for listing
May 9 (Reuters) - BASF's ( opens new tab agriculture unit is aiming to expand in Asia and global seed markets as it prepares for a stock market listing in about two years, a senior executive told Reuters. The German industrial chemicals giant has said that its Agricultural Solutions unit should be ready by 2027 for an initial public offering that could see BASF sell a minority stake in the maker of pesticides and seeds. "We aim to further increase our share of revenue from seeds. We are at close to 22% and we want to move more towards 25%," Livio Tedeschi, the division's president, told Reuters. Among new products underpinning that ambition, BASF is working on hybrid wheat, an approach that has for years been pursued by the industry to boost wheat yields, and new soy variants that resist pests such as soil roundworms. Tedeschi said this was a high strategic priority and it could be supported by collaboration deals and small acquisitions. A particular geographic focus across products including crop chemicals and digital services was Asia, he added. "When measured by market share, we are under-represented in Asia. We want to increase our market share," said Tedeschi. BASF's agriculture business, among the four largest industry players alongside Syngenta, Bayer ( opens new tab and Corteva (CTVA.N), opens new tab, posted global 2024 sales of 9.8 billion euros ($11.1 billion), with Asia accounting for 11.6% of that. From North America, Europe and South America it derived 39.8%, 24.6% and 24% of sales, respectively. Parent BASF last week said it was facing high levels of uncertainty from U.S. tariffs and other countries' reactions to them, but reaffirmed its earnings guidance for lack of clearer economic indicators. Tedeschi added that BASF's decision to separate the agriculture unit from the rest of the business gave the unit more autonomy and would allow it to sustain research and development spending at 9%-10% of sales. ($1 = 0.8836 euros)
