Cashews as Antidepressants (Facts and Benefits)

This article will discuss the role of cashews as antidepressants and the benefits that follow.

Role of Cashews as Antidepressants

Other than a decent source of tryptophan, cashew nuts are a crucial amino acid that our body requires to take during the meal. This amino acid helps children grow and thrive, controls mood, regulates our behavior, improves sleep, and can reduce stress, anxiety, and levels of depression substantially.

The chemical responsible for managing mood control is serotonin, so depression is mostly the product of decreased serotonin levels, and the amino acid called tryptophan is needed to produce serotonin. Cashews contain vitamins which stabilize the mood: B6, magnesium, niacin, and even tryptophan. B6 allows tryptophan to be converted into serotonin and enables magnesium to reach the body cells.

A combination of these nutrients work with depression; researchers believe that you can get sufficient tryptophan to alter and boost your mood if you consume two or more fistfuls of cashews each day. Cashews can be a natural cure for anxiety and depression and do not bear Prozac’s price tag or side effects.

The news in the community began somewhere around 2016 that nuts such as cashews were natural antidepressants. The catchphrase was: a medication like Prozac is being replaced by two handfuls of cashews per day. For a while, this was trendy; then it just died off. 

Although cashews’ composition is persuasive, it is challenging to say explicitly that ‘cashews prevent depression.’ Maybe the original assertion was distorted that two handfuls of cashews were equivalent to taking Prozac.

Facts about Cashews

Cashews are not just delicious, protein-filled snacks: they have solid, health-enhancing ingredients. Cashews are antidepressants that are natural.

Cashews originate from the cashew tree, renowned for its pink flowers and large leaves. Broad and moderately tall, cashew trees grow anywhere between 20 to 30 feet. Dwarf trees are being produced today to bear fruit more quickly. These plants, known officially as Anacardium occidentale, derive from Brazil’s tropical areas. Cashews sprout an unusually shaped fruit from the base, called a cashew apple, which appears very much like a small pear. Currently, the cashew nut is the seed of this fruit.

There are still many advantages to consuming cashews, mightily, if you are striving to enhance your mental health. In general, nuts give your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing a lot of benefits.

Also, cashews are richer in magnesium than almonds, the most well-known nut. Magnesium is essential for a healthy mood and nervous system and, as a result, helps to treat anxiety and depression. Magnesium also battles low blood sugar, which can lead to stress, and cashews contain approximately 83 mg per portion.

Vitamin B6 in cashews also assists in the body’s absorption of serotonin. To build a calm, spiritual state that helps combat a sour or nervous mood, Vitamin B6, and tryptophan function. By enabling magnesium to enter cells more efficiently, vitamin B6 also decreases stress and increases overall brain health. Cashews are a great option, along with avocados, pumpkin seeds, bananas, pumpkin, greens, chia, and sweet potatoes.

For a stable mood and avoiding depression, the good fats in cashews are also essential. For those with severe heart health problems, a low-calorie diet might be appropriate, but a small amount of healthy fats every day is vital for your mood and cardiovascular health, mainly monounsaturated fats such as nuts and seeds. Cashews are among the most potent sources of monounsaturated fats and can help to avoid depression by keeping your brain balanced naturally.

Nuts are high in fat and calories. Therefore, it has generally been recommended for individuals attempting to lose some weight to reduce the number of nuts in their diet.

The reality that cashews seem to provide the body with fewer calories than once thought can explain this in part.

On the other hand, roasting or grinding nuts can increase the capacity of your body to digest them, thereby raising the number of calories ingested completely.

As a consequence, the advantages of weight loss could be most significant for whole, raw cashews, though future research is required to confirm this. And the antioxidant benefit that comes with roasting cashews can be sacrificed.

Nuts are high in protein and fiber, which are known to minimize appetite and encourage feelings of fullness, in addition to getting fewer calories than anticipated, all of which may help reduce body weight.

Nut-rich diets have been repeatedly proven to be highly helpful for the wellbeing of the heart. Some advantages of lower blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol tend to be provided by Cashews. Before firm conclusions can be drawn, however, further research is needed.

A multitude of dishes, ranging from scrambled tofu and stir fry to chili, salads, and stews, may also include whole or ground cashews.

Another way to incorporate cashews into your diet is with cashew butter. Spread it or blend it into yogurt or muesli on toast. To produce homemade, bake-free energy balls, you can also prepare cashew butter along with oats and your favorite dried fruit.

Cashews are usually a healthy addition to the diets of most individuals.

Bear in mind that elevated concentrations of added oils or salt can be found in roasted or salted cashews. For this purpose, it might be better to opt instead for dry roasted or raw kinds that are unsalted.

Gallbladder: Over the years, research shows that women who eat at least 1 ounce per week of nuts or peanut butter have a 25 percent reduced likelihood of developing gallstones.

Gums and teeth: Cashews comprise copper and magnesium, which are essential for the growth and care of skin, bones, connective tissue, and organ.

Disease Prevention: Cashews are abundant in antioxidants that fight against cancer-like toxins and diseases. They are also rich in vitamins such as riboflavin, pantothenic acid, thiamin, and niacin that prevent severe medical conditions like sideroblastic anemia and pellagra.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed the role played by cashews as antidepressants and the benefits that follow.

Side Note: I have tried and tested various products and services to help with my anxiety and depression. See my top recommendations here, as well as a full list of all products and services our team has tested for various mental health conditions and general wellness.

What we recommend for Depression

Professional counselling

If you are suffering from depression then ongoing professional counselling could be your ideal first point of call. Counselling will utilize theories such as Cognitive behavioural therapy which will help you live a more fulfilling life.

FAQ: Cashews as Antidepressants

Citation

• McClees, H. (2019, April 13). How Cashews Can Help With Stress and Anxiety. Retrieved November 08, 2020, from https://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/how-cashews-can-help-with-stress-and-anxiety/

• How to Not Go Nuts by Eating Nuts: Cashews for Depression, Anxiety, and General Health. (2019, April 17). Retrieved November 08, 2020, from https://hher24.com/cashews-and-depression/

• LaCapria, K., & LaCapria, K. (n.d.). FACT CHECK: Are Two Handfuls of Cashews Equivalent to a Dose of Prozac for Depression? Retrieved November 08, 2020, from https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cashews-equivalent-to-a-dose-of-prozac/

• Are Cashews Good for Depression and Anxiety? (n.d.). Retrieved November 08, 2020, from https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/cashews-and-depression/

• How Many Cashew Should You Eat Per Day?. https://fitnesspell.com/cashews/

• https://unsplash.com/photos/XSA7yBU_irI