CASHEW: THE WONDER PLANT

On the other hand, when you eat foods containing LDL fats (like lard, egg yolk, pork and liver for example), the liver distributes it throughout your body, often attaching to the cells, which become clogged with plaque.
To lower your risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease, enjoy a handful of cashews or other nuts, or a tablespoon of nut butter, at least four times a week. Cashew is rich in copper.
An essential component of many enzymes, copper plays a role in a wide range of physiological processes including iron utilisation, elimination of free radicals, development of bone and connective tissue, and the production of the skin and hair pigment called melanin.
For example, copper is an essential component of the enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which is important in energy production and antioxidant defences.
Copper is also necessary for the activity of lysyl oxidase, an enzyme involved in cross-linking collagen and elastin, both of which provide the ground substance and flexibility in blood vessels, bones and joints.
Low dietary intake of copper may also be associated with increased fecal free radical production and fecal water alkaline phosphatase activity, risk factors for colon cancer.
Numerous health problems can develop when copper intake is inadequate, including iron deficiency anaemia, ruptured blood vessels, osteoporosis, joint problems such as rheumatoid arthritis, brain disturbances, elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduced HDL (good) cholesterol levels, irregular heartbeat, and increased susceptibility to infections.
Since prevention is better than cure, take cashew regularly to stay healthy. Magnesium in cashew helps regulate nerve and muscle tone.
Everyone knows that calcium is necessary for strong bones, but magnesium is also vital for healthy bones. About two-thirds of the magnesium in the human body is found in our bones.
Some helps give bones their physical structure, while the rest is found on the surface of the bone where it is stored for the body to draw upon as needed.
In many nerve cells, magnesium serves as Nature’s own calcium channel blocker, preventing calcium from rushing into the nerve cell and activating the nerve.
By blocking calcium’s entry, magnesium keeps our nerves, blood vessels and muscles relaxed.
Insufficient magnesium can thus contribute to high blood pressure, muscle spasms (including spasms of the heart muscle or the spasms of the airways symptomatic of asthma), and migraine headaches, as well as muscle cramps, tension, soreness and fatigue.
Given these effects, it is not surprising that studies have shown magnesium helps reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, lowers blood pressure, helps prevent heart attacks, promotes normal sleep patterns in women suffering from menopausal sleep disturbances, and reduces the severity of asthma. Next time when you see a cashew fruit, do not take it for granted. It is a wonder fruit. (Culled from New Telegraph).