The raw cashew apple, although often overlooked or wasted, has several important benefits and nutritional value. Here are some key points highlighting the importance of raw cashew apple:
Nutritional Composition:
Cashew apple is rich in various nutrients, including vitamin C, sugars (fructose and sucrose), fibers, flavonoids, carotenoids, total polyphenols, volatile components, flavanols, amino acids, and minerals like potassium, magnesium, sodium, and iron.
Immunity Boosting:
The high vitamin C content in cashew apple helps in boosting the immune system, which is essential for fighting off infections and diseases.
Antioxidant Properties:
Cashew apple contains flavonoids and polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants. These compounds help in scavenging free radicals and protecting the body against oxidative stress and damage.
Cardiac Health:
The presence of potassium, magnesium, and other beneficial compounds in cashew apple contributes to maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.
Skin and Body Integrity:
The nutrients found in cashew apple, including vitamin C and amino acids, play a role in maintaining healthy skin and promoting wound healing.
Weight Management:
Cashew apple is associated with weight loss due to its high fiber content, which helps in promoting satiety and regulating digestion.
Diabetic-Friendly:
The flavonoids present in cashew apple, such as myricetin and quercetin, make it beneficial for diabetic patients. These compounds help in regulating blood sugar levels.
Value-Added Products:
Cashew apple can be utilized to create various value-added products such as juice, jam, drinks, wine, candy, syrup, canned fruits, and more. These products can contribute to food and nutrition security while reducing waste.
Therapeutic Effects:
Consumption of cashew apple and its value-added products has shown therapeutic effects in managing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
However, despite these benefits, a significant portion of cashew apples goes to waste due to limited knowledge about their health benefits, high perishability, lack of appropriate harvesting techniques, high processing costs, poor post-harvest management, and inadequate government support. Further research and efforts are necessary to promote cashew apple utilization globally and reduce waste.
The cashew apple offers several health benefits due to its nutritious nature and high polyphenolic content. Here are some of the health benefits associated with cashew apple consumption:
Strong Immunity:
Cashew apples are rich in essential minerals that can help maintain a strong immune system. These minerals promote proper fluid balance, nerve transmission, muscle contraction, and can assist in managing micronutrient deficiencies.
Instant Energy Booster:
Cashew fruit is high in calories and reducing sugars, making it an excellent choice for an instant energy boost. Cashew apple juice has been found to enhance fat oxidation and potentially increase endurance during exercise.
Rich in Vitamin C:
Fresh cashew apple juice contains high levels of vitamin C. Vitamin C is known for its role in treating sore throat, maintaining good oral health, and acting as an antioxidant. It also serves as a cofactor for enzyme and bioactive compound activity.
Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Potential:
The cashew apple’s rich phytochemical profile gives it potential as a nutraceutical and pharmaceutical ingredient. It has traditional uses in treating sore throats, colds, coughs, gastric disorders, diarrhea, dysentery, and ulcers. Anacardic acids found in the fruit have demonstrated gastroprotective properties.
Natural Antioxidant:
Cashew apples contain significant amounts of polyphenolic compounds, including anthocyanins, flavonoids, flavones, carotenoids, and various acids. These compounds act as natural antioxidants, scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibiting free radical formation. This antioxidant activity can help prevent cardiovascular diseases and protect cellular components.
Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Microbial Properties:
Cashew apples contain flavonoids, tannins, and other acids that contribute to their anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and wound-healing properties. They have been effective against the growth of various bacteria, including Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhimurium. Certain phenolic compounds in cashew apples have shown anti-tumor properties in mice models.
Management of Obesity and Diabetes:
Studies have indicated that flavonoids present in cashew apples, such as myricetin and quercetin, may help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, and insulin insensitivity. Cashew apple extracts rich in these derivatives have shown effectiveness in managing obesity and diabetes by inhibiting fat accumulation, reducing insulin resistance, and improving lipid profiles.
Cardio-Protective Effects:
Cashew apples have been found to have positive effects on blood lipid profiles, including reducing total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol while increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. These effects contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Gastrointestinal Health:
Cashew apple fiber acts as a prebiotic, promoting gastrointestinal health. The high fiber content aids in GI health, visceral fat/blood lipids, and postprandial glucose response, helping to prevent and manage diet-related diseases.
Muscle Synthesis and Mental Health:
Cashew apples are rich in leucine, an amino acid that enhances muscle synthesis and influences insulin activity. This can be beneficial for regulating blood glucose levels in sarcopenic patients and the elderly. The presence of GABA in cashew apples has been associated with promoting mental health by inhibiting brain neurotransmitters, potentially acting against depression and anxiety. GABA has also shown antihypertensive and antiproliferative effects in humans and on cancerous cells.
It’s important to note that while cashew apples offer potential health benefits, individual results may vary, and it’s always advisable to consume a balanced diet and consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice.
