
This frui t-shaped fruit tree, which grows in Latin America, is very popular. This is because anacardos have many health benefits that are not only used in the kitchen, but also in cosmetics and medicine.
This article explains what anacardos, their benefits and damages for the body and how much should be consumed to obtain a therapeutic effect are. He also points out how to choose the right product, at what age and in what amount it is allowed to eat children, and a comparison of the properties of anacardos and other popular nuts.
Anacardo: Is it a dry fruit or not?
This tree grows mainly in Brazil, India and Vietnam. But its fruit, according to the botanists, is not a nut, since it has two parts. The first part is the peduncle, which looks like an apple. The taste of this part is very juicy and sweet, but it is only edible during the first 24 hours after the collection, so it cannot be transported.
The second part is the walnut itself, which can be transported. This part has a crescent shape and is wrapped in a hard peel. Anacardo is extracted by people with professional training, since it contains toxic oils that cause burns.
Chemical composition and caloric content of the anacardos per 100 grams
The taste of anacardos is butian and delicate, and sometimes they seem very fatty, but in reality its fat content is several times lower than other popular nuts.
- Fats – 47 g;
- Carbohydrates – 23 g;
- Proteins – 20. 3 g;
- water – 5. 7 g;
- ashes – 3. 5 g;
- food fibers – about 2 g.
The amount of essential macronutrients and micronutrients per 100 grams of product is indicated in Table 1.
Table 1. Macronutrients and macronutrient and trace elements present in the anacardos.
Macronutrient name | Quantity in mg | Name of the Oligoement | Quantity in µg |
Potassium | 556 | Copper | 2209 |
Magnesium | 275 | Strontium | 224 |
Match | 208 | Aluminum | 120 |
Sulfur | 156 | Zirconium | 38 |
Silicon | 65 | Molybdenum | 31 |
Calcium | 50 | Fluorine | 23 |
Sodium | 19 | Boron | 21 |
Chlorine | 12 | Selenium | 13 |
Iodine | 11. 3 | ||
Titanium | 10 | ||
Zinc | 6 | ||
Iron | 4,1 |
For every 100 grams of anacardos, the caloric content varies between 570 and 635 kcal.
What vitamins contain anacardos
Basically, anacardos saturate the human body with a complex of B vitamins, nicotinic acid, vitamin A, C and others.
- Tiamina (B1) – 0. 7 mg;
- Riboflavina (B2) – 0. 3 mg
- Hill (B4) – 65 mg;
- Pantotenic acid (B5) – 1. 35 mg;
- pyridoxin (B6) – 0. 3 mg;
- Folic acid (B9) – 0. 7 mg;
- Ascorbic acid (vit. C) – 0. 8 mg;
- Vitamin E – 6 mg;
- Biotin (vit. H) – 0. 31 mg;
- Philoquinone (vit. k) – 0. 3 mg;
- Niacina – 2. 4 mg;
- Vitamin PP – 7 mg.
Properties of Anacardo
Before consuming them, you should know that anacardos have health and contraindications benefits. Possible damages and recommendations for use are strictly individual. Therefore, it is advisable to consult a nutritionist about the rationality of the consumption of anacardos for health safety.
Benefits
Its beneficial properties for the human organism far exceed their possible damages. This is due to its high content of vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
Among the main benefits of anacardos consumption include:
- greater elasticity of blood vessels
- Better oxygenation of tissues and cells
- Reduction of blood cholesterol levels;
- Improvement of brain activity, infarct prevention;
- Standardization of metabolic processes
- stabilization of mental activity;
- Its high copper content increases hemoglobin and melanin in the blood, which contributes to a better absorption of vitamin D. It also improves collagen production, which strengthens bones and joints;
- Blood glucose levels are normalized, which helps reduce diabetes symptoms.
Nicotinic acid contained in nuts helps normalize the functions of the digestive system, improves the health and appearance of the skin.
In addition, another useful property is the antisclerotic effect on blood vessels. Anacardos help in the treatment of pharyngitis, bronchitis, initial phases and cancer prevention.
For women
The effect of the product on the female body especially. It improves the functioning of the reproductive system – such as infertility prevention and increase the possibility of successful conception, reducing the risk of genitourinary system diseases. In addition, anacardos help stabilize the menstrual cycle, reducing the amount of flow and discomfort.
They also have antibacterial and antiseptic properties that help reinforce the body’s immune system. They also help increase sexual desire.
They are considered indispensable to rejuvenate, strengthen bones, nails and hair, teeth and nervous and cardiovascular system. Anacardos also serve to lose weight, strengthen the muscles and protect the organism from the risk of metastasis.
For man
Its usefulness for men lies in increasing power, sexual activity and fighting or preventing infertility. Eating about 35 grams of anacardos a day is enough to restore the activity and motility of the sperm. The product also helps with excessive sweating and muscle dystrophy, and to combat tobacco addiction.
For children
Unsaturated fatty acids help maintain active brain and mind, improve memory and attention.
Carbohydrates, fats and easy digestion proteins provide additional energy, which facilitates physical effort. And the fiber of nuts helps normalize the digestive system.
Anacardos can cause damage only if they are hypersensitive to them, allergic and if they eat in excess.
Contraindications
Anacardos should not be consumed in case of
- kidney disease (presence of calculations or sand)
- liver diseases;
- gastritis, stomach ulcers;
- bronchial asthma.
Otherwise, symptoms can get worse and the disease evolves to an acute phase.
How to choose the right Anacardos
When choosing and buying anacardos, you have to pay attention to the appearance and smell of the product.
The main characteristics of fresh quality anacardos are
- Light color peel.
- Firm and crispy grain with a smooth surface.
- Similar to a crescent form.
- The grain is intact, without cracks or fissures.
- It is dry and does not stick.
- Its flavor is sweet but not bitter.
Prefer the anacardos packaged in individual containers to which they are sold loose. This avoids the possibility of suffering bacterial damage or spoiling.
At what age are anacardos for children?
If there are no allergic reactions to the product, children over three years old can eat them. You should take about 15 grams a day, which is equivalent to 5 peanuts.
How much can you eat
The daily ration of anacardos is 30 grams, which is equivalent to 10 nuts. In some cases it is allowed to eat up to 15 nuts a day.
Particularities of use
The product has been widely used not only in the kitchen, but also in the field of cosmetology and in some areas of medicine.
In cosmetology
Anacardo oil is used in cosmetology. With him, creams for massages, body masks, facials and capillaries are prepared. It is also used to bleach freckles and age stains. Their decorative products and for skin care soften and nourish the skin and help heal wounds.
It is especially good for rough skins such as heels, cuticles, elbows or palms. Anacardo oil also protects the sensitive skin of the sun, frost or wind.
In medicine
In Africa it is used to combat teeth pain, bleeding and inflammation of gums and to protect the enamel of possible damage.
Nut oil is used as a component of ant i-inflammatory and analgesic medications. It is used to treat allergies, digestive disorders, rheumatism, metabolic disorders, avitaminosis and anemia, eczema, psoriasis and depression.
In the kitchen
Anacardos are used both directly and squeezed, and the oil is used in the kitchen. They can be used in pastry, salads and desserts.
Salad with arugula and anacardos
The salad can be prepared as vegetable salad or as a sweet fruit salad. For the first version, you have to take 60 g of arugula, a cucumber, a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, 5 g of nuts and a tablespoon of olive oil. Previously ties the nuts. Pick all ingredients and mix them.
For the second recipe, we need: 70 g of arugula, 250 g of strawberries, hard goat cheese, a tablespoon of olive oil and a handful of anacardos. Stop the anacardos in a dry pan, cut the strawberries in 4 pieces and cheese in thin slices. Mix all the ingredients and sprinkle with the cheese.
Pumpkin and anacardos cream
To prepare this creamy and healthy creamy soup you need
- half kilo of pumpkin
- Two yellow zucchini
- 150 ml of water;
- 150 g of anacardos;
- 3 garlic cloves;
- a tablespoon of olive oil;
- a tablespoon of cream cheese;
- salt, pepper, spices to taste.
Wash the pumpkin and put it in the preheated oven. Bake it until a knife can penetrate easily. Then, peel the pumpkin, cut it into pieces and mix with olive oil and spices. Put it back in the oven for 15 minutes.
Tub the nuts in olive oil until golden brown. Boil the water and add the zucchini and garlic, then add the pumpkin and nuts. Crush the soup with a blender until it is soft. Add the cheese and a little water, remove well and heat.
A healthy dessert: fruit and nut ice cream
A healthy and tasty dessert is an ice cream of fruit and nuts. To do this you will need
- a banana
- a cup and a half of freshly squeezed orange juice;
- a cup and a half of orange zest;
- two tablespoons of anacardos;
- A teaspoon of vanilla.
Mix all the ingredients in a blender and pour the resulting dough into special molds for ice cream. Leave in the freezer for 4 hours.
Before using, defrost for five minutes or place on a towel soaked in hot water. This serves to unmold ice cream.
What is healthier: roasted or raw anacardians
Normally, the anacardos are added spices, salt or sugar, syrup and honey to give them a delicious taste and aroma. But at the same time its fat content increases, which can influence the appearance of overweight. Sweet nuts are good for mental activity, while savings help with nausea, dizziness and toxemia during pregnancy.
Raw anacardos are consumed to lose weight, since they are the ones with less fat and more health benefits. Therefore, it can be concluded that raw and roasted anacardos are equally beneficial.
If compared to other popular nuts, such as hazelnuts, anacardos are somewhat lower in terms of quantity of vitamins, micro and macronutrients.
Conservation and methods
The product must be kept in a dark place, in the refrigerator or in the freezer, in a bag or in a hermetic container. Anacardos must be kept separate from salty, smoked and other prepared foods. They should not be mixed with other types of nuts, nor should we be stored spoiled, darkened or humid anacules.
Anacardos can be kept in a dark and fresh place for approximately one month, in the refrigerator for about six months and in the freezer for a year.
Anacardos, whose benefits and damages are well studied, are actively used in different areas of human life: cooking, medicine or cosmetology. It is important to take into account the individual characteristics of your body, the possible contraindications and respect the daily dose of these nuts to obtain a beneficial effect.