Tracy Norris
Even a small amount of cashew nuts a day is enough to lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels – this is shown by a current Indian study.
Walnuts and almonds already have a permanent place on the list of superfoods – however, the health effects of cashew nuts have hardly been studied. A current study now shows that they support the body in several ways: they lower blood pressure and increase the so-called “good cholesterol” in the blood.
300 type II diabetics took part in the study: all were instructed to follow a special diabetic diet. Half of the participants ate an additional 30 grams (about a handful) of unsalted cashews for 12 weeks.
Why are cashew nuts healthy?
Examinations of the subjects at the beginning and end of the study period revealed: The blood pressure values in the cashew group had fallen more sharply (on average by 5mmHg) than in the control group. In addition, the “good cholesterol” in the cashew group increased (on average by 2mg/dl).
Cholesterol belongs to the group of lipids (fats) in the human body. For the most part, it is formed in the intestines and liver – only about a third is ingested through food. Cholesterol is essential for life: It is part of the cell walls and is involved in the formation of various hormones.
How is good cholesterol different from bad cholesterol?
Cholesterol binds to so-called lipoproteins, whose job it is to transport fat through the blood: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) carries cholesterol out of the cells and into the liver (from where it is excreted in the bile). Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) transports cholesterol into cells and blood vessels.
An increased cholesterol level usually means an increased amount of LDL cholesterol, because: If too much cholesterol is deposited in the vessels, the risk of arteriosclerosis and thus heart attack and stroke increases. Conversely, this means: The higher the HDL value, the better the vessels are kept free of cholesterol deposits. The HDL cholesterol is therefore colloquially called “good cholesterol” and the LDL cholesterol “bad cholesterol”.
Nuts protect against heart disease and cancer
A large study published in 2014 showed that nuts – cashew nuts as well as walnuts or Brazil nuts – should be on our menu every day. It found that a handful of nuts a day reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by almost 30 percent and also reduced the chance of developing cancer by 11 percent.
