Whole cashews and water are combined to make cashew milk, a non-dairy beverage. It’s creamy, thick, high in vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and other beneficial plant components. Cashew milk, which is available unsweetened or sweetened, can be substituted for cow’s milk in most recipes.
Cashew milk has many health benefits. Here are some you may not be aware of:
Rich in Nutrients
Cashew milk contains healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. The majority of the fat in this very healthy beverage comes from unsaturated fatty acids, which promote heart health and provide a host of other benefits. It is possible that store-bought varieties contain different amounts of nutrients than homemade versions.
Commercial cashew milks are generally enriched with vitamins and minerals and have higher levels of certain nutrients than homemade versions. Although they do not include fibre, they do contain less fat and protein. Additionally, store-bought variants may contain oils, preservatives, and sweeteners.
Since homemade cashew milk does not need to be filtered, its fibre content is higher. In addition, they are rich in magnesium, which is necessary for a variety of bodily functions, including neuron function, heart health, and blood pressure control.
Beneficial to Eye Health
Cashews contain lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants. Compounds such as these may protect your eyes from cellular damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals.
Diets rich in lutein and zeaxanthin may lower your risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which causes vision loss.
According to another study, those who consumed the most lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as had the highest blood levels of these antioxidants, were 40% less likely to develop advanced age-related macular degeneration.
Cashews are high in lutein and zeaxanthin, so including cashew milk in your diet may help prevent eye problems.
May Aid Blood Clotting
A lot of vitamin K is found in cashew milk, which is necessary for blood clotting. If you do not receive enough vitamin K, you may experience excessive bleeding.
Vitamin K-rich foods, such as cashew milk, can help maintain adequate levels of this protein in the body. On the other hand, increased dietary intake of vitamin K may reduce the effectiveness of blood-thinning medications.
If you are taking blood-thinning medicines, talk to your healthcare professional before making dietary changes.
Potentially anticancer
Cashew milk has been shown to inhibit the growth of some cancer cells in test tubes. Cashews contain anacardic acid, which may fight free radicals, which play a role in cancer formation. One test-tube study discovered that anacardic acid inhibits the spread of human breast cancer cells. Anacardic acid increased the activity of an anticancer medication against human skin cancer cells, according to another study. Anacardic acid, which may help inhibit cancer cell growth, is found in cashew milk.
Iron deficiency anaemia may improve
When your body doesn’t get enough iron, your body cannot produce enough haemoglobin, a protein that helps red blood cells carry oxygen. Anemia causes fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, chilly hands and feet, etc.
In one study, women with poor iron intake are six times more likely to develop anaemia than those with adequate iron intake.
As cashew milk is high in iron, it may assist you in maintaining adequate levels. When combined with vitamin C, this form of iron is better absorbed by your body.
Mix cashew milk with fresh strawberries or oranges, both of which are high in vitamin C, to enhance iron absorption.
Cashew Milk Recipe
There is no need to spend money on cashew milk from the store. All you need to do is follow a few easy steps to make your own. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps to make your own. Keeping in mind that cashews need to soak the night before is the most difficult step. Follow these four steps to soak cashews:
- 1 cup of cashews should be soaked in water overnight, then drained and rinsed.
- Blend the cashews and 4 cups of water (plus additional sweeteners) in a high-powered blender.
- Blend on high for one minute.
- After pouring into a storage container, refrigerate.
Cashew milk can be consumed straight up or used in recipes just like dairy milk.