Benefits of Cashew Nuts for Brain Health

Cashews are highly beneficial for improving your brainpower and slowing down age-related memory issues. Keep reading to understand the science behind it.

Anju Mobin
By Anju Mobin
Joel Taylor
Edited by Joel Taylor

Published March 25, 2022.

Your brain is a powerhouse that makes your body work. It connects with and coordinates every part of your body, speaks to them, and synchronizes your every movement. Whether it's your heart beating or the way you feel, it's the brain that is getting it all done.

Therefore, keeping your brain healthy is very important. Your way of life, the foods you eat, and the daily habits you practice are crucial for your mental health.

Fatty fish, berries, turmeric, nuts and seeds, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, eggs, citrus fruits, etc. are great for your brain. Amongst nuts, cashew, walnuts, and almonds are considered best.

Let’s have a quick look into the health benefits of cashews and their nutritional facts.

Health Benefits of Eating Cashews

  1. Cashews are a great source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Your body uses these fatty acids to build new brain cells, thereby enhancing brainpower.
  2. Cashews are a great source of protein and help with concentration.
  3. Cashews are rich in magnesium which is good for anxiety and depression. Magnesium help restore synapses and increase their density. This essential mineral delays age-related brain shrinkage, improves memory recall, learning, and cognitive functions (1). Patients with dementia have particularly shown improvement with nutritional magnesium support.
  4. The tryptophan in cashews boosts the brain’s production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. They support a stable mood and ensure healthy sleep (2).
  5. Cashews are also rich in Vitamin B6 which help increase the uptake of serotonin in the body. This helps keep the anxiety levels at bay. The powerful duo of magnesium and vitamin B6 in cashews helps control mood swings (3).
  6. Cashews are a great source of zinc and copper that help eliminate free radicals from the body. They are a great way to increase your working memory and are good for brainpower. Zinc helps prevent amyloid plaque which is one of the root causes of dementia (4).