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Cashews

Anacardium occidentale

Also known as Cashew nut, Caju

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The kidney-shaped seed that grows beneath the cashew apple, always sold shelled and heat-treated because the shell contains caustic resin. The USDA reference entry is for the raw kernel.

Heart HealthWeight Management

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Moderate

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Moderate evidence

Some trials report small reductions in LDL cholesterol when cashews replace other snacks, but results are more mixed than for almonds or walnuts and several trials found no change.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Body composition

Weight Management
Limited evidence

Evidence is limited: trials adding cashews to the diet generally report no meaningful change in body weight, which is itself a useful finding given their energy density.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Healthy blood pressure

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Evidence is limited. A small number of trials report modest reductions in diastolic blood pressure with cashew supplementation, and the finding has not been reliably reproduced.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Cashews

Ask about Cashews

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories553 kcal28%
Protein18.2 g36%
Total fat43.9 g56%
Carbohydrate30.2 g11%
Fibre3.3 g12%
Total sugars5.91 g—
Water5.2 g—
Fats
Saturated fat7.78 g39%
Monounsaturated fat23.8 g—
Polyunsaturated fat7.84 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)7.78 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0.5 mg1%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.9 mg6%
Vitamin K34.1 µg28%
Thiamin (B1)0.423 mg35%
Riboflavin (B2)0.058 mg4%
Niacin (B3)1.06 mg7%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.864 mg17%
Vitamin B60.417 mg25%
Folate25 µg6%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium37 mg3%
Iron6.68 mg37%
Magnesium292 mg70%
Phosphorus593 mg47%
Potassium660 mg14%
Sodium12 mg1%
Zinc5.78 mg53%
Copper2.19 mg244%
Manganese1.66 mg72%
Selenium19.9 µg36%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin22 µg—
Ash2.54 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Nuts, cashew nuts, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170162).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • soakedReduces phytate

    Soaking softens cashews for blending into creams and modestly lowers phytate content.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Tree nut allergy

    Cashew is a major tree nut allergen and one of the more likely to cause severe reactions to small amounts. Cross-reactivity with pistachio is very high because the two are botanically close.

  • Avoid

    Shell resin and urushiol

    The cashew shell contains anacardic acid and urushiol, the same class of compound as poison ivy. This is why cashews are never sold in the shell and why nuts labelled raw have in fact been steamed; poorly processed nuts have caused contact dermatitis.

  • Worth knowing

    More starch than other nuts

    Cashews contain appreciably more carbohydrate than most tree nuts, which is why they thicken sauces well but also why their glucose response differs from that of almonds or walnuts.