Native to South America and grown only in tropical regions, the cashew tree actually produces two fruits: the nut and an edible cashew apple that is too fragile to tolerate shipping. The cashew nut is high in fat but is still highly nutritious, with essential fatty acids, protein, fiber, minerals and B vitamins.
Definition
The cashew tree is a tropical evergreen tree. The cashew nut is surrounded by a double shell, which contains fluid that can irritate skin. The nutritional values in this article are based on information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The values are based on a 1-oz. serving of dry roasted cashews without salt added.
Basic Nutrition
One ounce of cashews contains 161 calories, 9g of total carbohydrates and 1g of dietary fiber. Based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, these measurements represent 3 percent of the recommended daily value (DV) for both fiber and carbohydrates. Cashews also provide 4.3g (9 percent DV) of high-quality protein.
Fats
The total fat content is 13g, which represents a large 20 percent of the recommended daily value; however, 75 percent of the total fat in cashews comes from healthy unsaturated fats. One serving provides 3g of saturated fat, but 7.6g of monounsaturated fats and 2.2g of polyunsaturated fats. You'll also gain heart-healthy fatty acids: 45.1mg of omega-3 and 2,145mg of omega-6. Women receive 4.5 percent of the recommended adequate intake of omega-3 and 18 percent of omega-6 from a serving of cashews. Men obtain about 3 percent of omega-3 and 12.6 percent of omega-6 fatty acids.
Vitamins
Cashews are a good source of vitamin K; with 9.7mcg, or 12 percent DV. They also provide between 2 to 4 percent DV of the following B vitamins: thiamin (0.1mg), riboflavin (0.1mg), niacin (0.4mg), pantothenic acid (0.3mg) and vitamin B6 (0.1mg). You'll also benefit from a small amount of vitamin E (9.7mcg).
Minerals
Cashew nuts are a rich source of copper (0.6mg or 31 percent DV), magnesium (72.8mg or 18 percent DV), phosphorus (13mg or 14 percent DV), manganese (0.2 mg or 12 percent DV), zinc (1.6mg or 10 percent DV) and iron (1.7mg or 9 percent DV). They also provide 5 percent DV of potassium (158mg) and selenium (3.3mcg), and a smaller amount of calcium (12.6mg or 1 percent DV).
Salt
If the nuts are processed without added salt they have only 4.5mg of sodium, which is barely a trace amount. When salt is added, sodium increases to 179mg, or 7 percent of the recommended daily value.
Considerations
A report issued by the Centers for Disease Control in October 2008 found that 90 percent of all food allergies in children are caused by eight types of foods. Tree nuts, including cashews, are one of the eight groups. If you're allergic to other tree nuts, you should also avoid cashews.
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