Trong các loại hạt, hạt điều là thực phẩm rất giàu chất dinh dưỡng và cung cấp nhiều năng lượng. Hạt điều đang ngày càng trở nên phổ biến không chỉ bởi mùi vị thơm ngon, béo ngọt đặc trưng mà còn nhờ những giá trị mang lại cả về mặt dinh dưỡng và những lợi ích to lớn cho sức khỏe con người.
Just like any other important nut, cashews are rich in nutrients and supply the body with extra energy. Cashew nut is becoming more popular not only for its characteristic flavor but also its nutritional value and health benefits.
1. Cashew nuts – an overview
Cashew nuts come from a perennial tree formally known as Anacardium occidentale. Its English name (cashew) derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree: caju. It is also called Anacardium in some of Vietnam’s areas. The species is native to Northeastern Brazil, and later was explored by French priest Thevet and was mentioned in his study (1558). The cashew tree was introduced to Vietnam starting around the 18th century and was spread from the South to Central Vietnam.
Cashew nut, in fact, is the true fruit of the cashew tree while what is usually called the cashew apple is the fake fruit of the cashew tree. The cashew nut has high nutritional and economical value.
2. Nutrition
Cashew nut contains a variety of nutrients, minerals, and amino acids. The overall composition of the cashew kernel is protein 18.4%, carbohydrates 28.7%, fat 46.3%, and other nutrients 6.6%. Also, 100 grams of cashew nut supply the body with 30% of the daily energy demands - equal to 605 kilocalories.
Cashew nut consists mainly of saturated fats, including oleic acid 59.65%, linoleic acid 19.73%. These fats account for over 80% of fat content and are very good for human health.
Besides, the cashew nut is rich in minerals. A serving of 100 grams of cashew nuts contains 28 mg calcium, 3.6 mg iron, 292 mg magnesium, 1.66 manganese, 462 mg phosphorus, 660 mg potassium, 12 mg sodium, 5.78 mg zinc, 2195 µg copper, 19.9 µg selenium. The cashew nut supplies a variety of vital minerals for the human body compared to other nutritious nuts.
In addition, the cashew nut is a good source of vitamins, including K, E, C, B1, B2, PP, B5, B6. Also, cashews do not contain cholesterol that is harmful to our bodies.
Furthermore, cashews are also rich in amino acids. A lot of vital amino acids such as leucine, valine, phenylalanine, lysine, isoleucine, threonine, histidine, methionine, and tryptophan are found in the cashew nut. The cashew nut contains unnecessary amino acids such as glutamic acid, arginine, aspartic acid, glycine, alanine, proline, tyrosine, and cystine. However, these acids are very important for the human body.
3. Health benefits
Cashews are rich in a range of nutrients that keep your body healthy. The following are some health benefits of cashew nuts:
Cancer prevention: There are many potent antioxidants in the cashew nut such as anacardic acid, cardol, cardanol, and carotenoids. Also, cashews contain proanthocyanidins (products of flavonoid pathway) that inhibit the growth of cancer cells, assist in the treatment of tumors and cancer, reduce inflammation, and keep the body’s resistance up (Selenium - rich cashew kernels, Al-Shodhana 92 Vol.).
Preventing kidney stones, heart disease, diabetes, boosting the brain, and managing weight: Cashews contain no cholesterol but contain lots of healthful saturated fats. These fats help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins, produce essential fatty acids and HDL cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol, thus regulating blood pressure, preventing kidney stones and heart diseases. Besides, saturated fats help to manage blood sugar, increase oxygen in the brain, and grow new brain cells. According to Ladson SC and his associates, healthy fatty acids, fiber, and protein in cashew nuts are good for your weight loss journey.
Boosting the immune system, keeping bones, joints, teeth, and the nervous system healthy: There are so many vital minerals in cashew nuts for the human body. Cashews are abundant in calcium and magnesium which are beneficial for the growth of bones, joints, tissues, and cells. Besides, magnesium also helps to maintain the function of the nervous system, thus reducing the frequency of migraine, regulating blood pressure, preventing muscle stress, and avoiding the body from getting tired. Copper and iron in cashews help grow new red blood cells quickly, which prevents anemia, osteoporosis, and cardiac dysrhythmia. In addition, cashew nuts contain zinc that helps prevent infections, boost the immune system for the body. Phosphorus in cashew nuts also keeps teeth healthy.
Staying healthy for pregnant women and children: The cashew nut is rich in minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates. Doctors and nutritionists advise that this is a good source of nutrients for pregnant women. These minerals help pregnant women to bolster their defenses, add energy, reduce headaches, and maintain blood pressure. Also, for infants, vitamin K in cashew nuts helps prevent the risk of hemorrhage and hemophilia. In addition, calcium and magnesium support the growth of height for children.
Preventing the flu and aging: The large quantities of vitamin B in cashew nuts help boost the immune system. According to Tiffany Avril Cordeiro, cashews prevent the flu during the winter months. Besides, Vitamin K, vitamin E, and antioxidants also slow the aging process and are very good for your skin and hair.
4. Cashew products
- Cashew nuts are used to make a variety of dishes from snacks to daily food, cashew confectionery. The following are the popular products:
- Fresh Cashew Nut (white kernel) is the product of pre-processing. Fresh cashews are packaged, and later sold domestically or classified according to the standard of white kernel cashew nut for export.
- Raw Cashew Nut (Roasted) is roasted without changing the original flavor of cashews. The product with delicious, crispy, fatty taste is very good for human health.
- Salted Roasted Cashew Nut includes Salted Roasted Cashew Nut with the shell and Roasted Salted Cashew Nut without the shell. This is the most popular product on the market now.
- Seasoned Cashew Nut consists of coffee cashews, durian cashews, garlic & pepper cashews, honey cashews, etc.
Besides, cashew nuts are also used to make cuisines, beverages, confectionery, and nutritious bars
5. Vietnam cashew nuts – National Pride
After 30 years of establishment and development, from a modest cashew exporter in the late 80s of the twentieth century, our country's cashew industry has made great strides in development and has continuously led the world in cashew nut exports since 2006. Since then, it has earned billions of dollars each year for the country.
Quality Vietnamese cashews: Vietnamese cashews are not only known by domestic users but also highly appreciated by the world market for their quality. Cashews originating from Vietnam are always bought at a higher value than cashews from other countries. Vietnamese cashews are not only rich in nutrients but also have a very delicious taste, a sweet and greasy taste that is more characteristic than foreign cashews produced. Therefore, it can be said and affirmed with great pride that:
“Best Cashew Nuts - Vietnam Cashews”
REFERENCES
Thevet. (1558). The oddities of Antarctic France otherwise known as America and of many lands and islands discovered in ourtimes.
Thanh, P.Đ. (2003). Hạt điều - Sản xuất và chế biến.
Khẩn, N.C., & Đào, H.T.A. (2007). Bảng thành phần thực phẩm Việt Nam. Hà Nội : Nxb Y Học. Available:http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/food_composition/documents/pdf/VTN_FCT_2007.pdf;
Laura, G., & Lisa, D. (2017). Nutrient composition of raw, dry-roasted, and skin-on cashew nuts. DOI: 10.5539/jfr.v6n6p13
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