Treat Depression By Eating Cashew Nuts

Do you often feel depressed or blue?

If you do, don’t think about medications right away. Cashew nuts are the cure for your feeling down.

As it happens, not many of you are aware of the numerous benefits these nuts offer, and only a very small percentage of the natural medicines comprehensive database deals with them.

Since cashews need hot and humid climate in order to grow, they are usually produced in countries like Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Mozambique.

Cashew Nuts Nutrition Facts

Health benefits of cashew are really impressive.Cashew nuts are packed full of vitamins, soluble dietary fiber, minerals and many phytochemicals that are known to prevent diseases, including cancer growths.

The only drawback of cashews maybe their richness in calories – about 50 grams of this favorable food contain 275 calories – so obese people should not exaggerate with them!

Nutritionists say that these beneficial nuts provide important essential vitamins, including: pantothenic acid or vitamin B5, pyridoxine or vitamin B6, thiamin or vitamin B11 and riboflavin.

Why are these vitamins important?

Well, the aforesaid vitamins are crucial for the metabolism of fat, protein and carbs at a cellular level. On the other hand, niacin improves the protection against pellagra or dermatitis.

For instance, vitamin B6 is extremely beneficial for our health for it significantly lowers the chances of developing sideroblastic anemia and homocystinuria. Only 3.5 Oz (100 gr) of these tasty nuts supply about 30{30e6b8360db511af0e1f77984c542ff30ea10c4b009d596ff6d5f40eac675d71} of the daily recommended amount of B6 (which is about 0.147 mg).

Apart from essential vitamins, cashews are also rich in essential minerals. Among the most useful minerals found in cashew nuts are: manganese, potassium, copper, selenium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. Only a couple of these nuts on a daily basis can provide the necessary amount of these extremely needed minerals and keep at bay the many deficiency- related diseases.

Copper acts as a co-factor for many important enzymes, like superoxide dismutase and cytochrome c- oxidase. On the other hand, zinc plays the same role in consort with enzymes responsible for the regulation and progress of digestion, gonadal function and DNA synthesis.

Selenium is another very important micronutrient, which works as a co-factor for antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxides, known as one of the strongest antioxidants in human body.

High quantities of monounsaturated fatty acids have also been found in these nuts.  Monounsaturated fatty acids are extremely good for your heart health, as palmitoleic and oleic acids. They belong to the group of essential fatty acids that can increase the level of good HDL cholesterol while decreasing the level of harmful LDL cholesterol in your blood.

Numerous scientific studies have shown that the so-called Mediterranean diet,  which is mostly based on monounsaturated fatty acids, supports the blood lipid profile, and protects our cardiovascular system from coronary artery diseases and strokes.

It is worth mentioning that cashews also contain a small but efficient quantity of one very important pigment of flavonoid antioxidants, called zeaxanthin, which is selectively absorbed inside the retinal macula in our eyes.

This pigment provides protective and antioxidant UV ray filtering features, and it also protects from ARMD or age-related macular degeneration in elderly people.

Cashew nuts can provoke allergic reactions

Although cashew nuts are extremely favorable for human wellness, some people should not consume them on a regular basis or should not consume them at all. Nowadays, one of the most common food allergies in both adults and children is actually cashew nut allergy. Even if one has consumed a tiny quantity of cashews, just like with peanuts, it can cause very unpleasant or severe allergic reactions.

How to recognize the symptoms of cashew nut allergy

Even if you don’t eat plain cashews, you must pay attention when you consume other foods (like ice cream, Asian meals or cakes) since cashew nuts are a hidden ingredient in many of these common foods.

However, if you experience some of the symptoms of cashew nut allergy described below, you should look for professional help.
Symptoms of cashew nut allergy:

1. You may experience tingling or itching around or in your mouth only a few minutes after you eat or touch cashews or food that contains cashew. Moreover, red, raised, itchy welts in different sizes may form at different parts of the body.
2. Occasionally, vomiting and/or stomach cramps are also indicative symptoms of this kind of allergy. Some more serious symptoms may include: projectile vomiting, diarrhea, nausea or difficulty in swallowing. It is very important to point out that the airways can be reduced due to the swollen throat or tongue.
3. Asthma or hay fever may appear in cases of airborne cashew nut inhalation.
4. Allergic reactions in the nose and nasal passages can sometimes show symptoms like stuffy or running nose, then itchy nose, eyes, cough, and itching on the top of the mouth. Another clear sign of airways issues are whistling and wheezing sounds heard while exhaling.  
5. Some other symptoms related to asthma attack caused by cashew allergy include: chest tightening, shortness of breath and chest pains.
6. Additionally, in some rare cases, the consumption of cashews can lead to a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. Inhalation, or ingestion, of even small quantities of cashew nuts may trigger an anaphylactic shock. Anaphylaxis starts suddenly and can grow life-threatening in a matter of seconds and that’s why it is crucial to look for immediate medical care. You can recognize this condition by the following symptoms: fast pulse, fainting, swelling of the throat that causes breathing problems, dizziness and lightheadedness.

If you are not allergic to cashews, you can naturally treat depression with them





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Source: Diet of Life