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Nutritional qualities and health benefits

• Nut is very nutritious, containing 45% fat, 30% carbohydrate and 20% protein.
• Great supply of minerals, mainly copper, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and iron, and to a lesser amount potassium, calcium, manganese and sodium.
• They are a source of fiber, both soluble and insoluble.
• Containing vitamin E and B vitamins functions as an antioxidant The first cell and the second connections in the brain and the formation energy and others.
• Like other fruits and nuts, helps maintain a healthy and balanced diet, as they provide the body a concentrated supplement of essential nutrients.
• Lowers "bad" cholesterol because a substance called phytosterol found in large quantity.
• Protect the health of the eyes, thanks to its content of zeaxanthin, which gives the yellow flavonoid pigmentation cashews and other foods.

Origin and cultivation

Originally from the northeast of Brazil, Bolivia and the Guianas region. The Portuguese took him to the coast of Mozambique and India. Currently India is the largest producer, followed by Brazil. It is also grown in West Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Common names

The scientific name is Cashew silver. In spanish is called Anacardo.

Curiosities
   

• The cashew is a compound fruit. The real fruit is kidney shaped nut that is consumed as fruit and roasted over it there is a pseudo called cashew apple. This pseudo stem is thickening fruit and countries of origin are consumed fresh or in juice, jam, canned jams, jellies, jelly, wine, vinegar, etc..
• A late twentieth and early twenty-first century there was an increase in exports of cashews, becoming one of the most demanded food worldwide.
• The cashew is related to the pistachio and mango.
• Cashew nuts are sold shelled because the shell and the inner resin that surrounds the seeds are toxic.
• The world's largest fruit tree is the tree of Pirangi a cashew (cashew tree) near the city of Natal (Brazil). The tree occupies 8,500 m2.

Sources consulted

Lyle, Susanna. Enciclopedia de las frutas del mundo. David Baterman Ltd. (ed. Lit.); Parangona Realitzacio Editorial SL (trad.). Barcelona: De Vecchi, 2007. 480 p. ISBN: 978-84-315-5164-3

Chevallier, Andrew. Enciclopedia de plantas medicinales. Penny Warren (ed. Lit.) Madrid: Acento Editorial, 1997. 336 p. ISBN: 978-8448302450

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacardium_occidentale

http://www.botanical-online.com/anacardo.htm

Foto: Autor: ArquiWHAT, fuente: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colores.jpg