13 Best Benefits Of Cashew Nut Oil For Skin, Hair And Health

While you may love munching on cashews, are you aware of cashew nut oil benefits as well? Yes, you got that right! Just like the many benefits of the health-boosting cashews, the oil derived from these nuts is also beneficial to you in several ways! Originally used in Northern Brazil for its medicinal and therapeutic properties, cashew nut oil is now gaining popularity worldwide. Rich in nutrition, essential vitamins and important minerals, cashew nut oil not only helps boost your immunity system but helps nourish your skin health as well! Rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, cashew nut oil helps treat wounds, scars, and tooth abscesses. Read on to know more about cashew nut oil benefits and how you can use it to its best potential in improving your skin texture and overall health!

Know Your Ingredient: Cashew Nut Oil

What Is It?
Oil derived from cashew nuts.

What Are Its Benefits?
It helps keep your skin hydrated, reduce signs of aging, treat scars and tooth abscesses, improve overall skin and hair health, maintain bone strength, and lower LDL cholesterol levels.

Who Can Use It?
Anyone except those who are allergic to cashews or have kidney issues.

How Often?
You can include the oil in your daily diet and apply it topically as part of your skin and hair care routine to reap maximum benefits.

Caution
Always perform a patch test before using the oil topically, and speak to your doctor before adding it to your diet.

Cashew Nut (Kaju) Oil Benefits

Benefits of using Cashew Nut Oil for Skin

There are many benefits of cashew nuts for the skin such as improving its elasticity and repairing the tissues. So, the oil extracted from these nuts is equally effective in treating dry and damaged skin. Many beauty products and skincare product ranges include cashew nut oil as their featured ingredient. This is because:

1. This oil will provide a smooth texture to your skin.

2. Apply this oil on a regular basis to find that your skin has retained its moisture. This is largely due to the moisturizing properties of the cashew nut oil. This in turn can be owed to the availability of high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids in it.

3. The oil is rich in Vitamin E. This vitamin plays a vital role in the anti-aging mechanism and therefore has become an important ingredient in anti-aging products (1).

4. Do you suffer from skin infections, like acne and eczema, or warts? Want to try a home remedy? Apply cashew nut oil or the cashew shell oil to the infected area as the oil has the ability to treat fungal infections (2).

5. Cashew nut oil also helps in improving your skin complexion.

Quick Tip

To deliver significant moisture to the skin, add cashew kernel oil, chia oil, and moringa seed oil to make a superfood face cream.

The above-mentioned properties help make it a really good home remedy and are sure to give you young, vibrant, and beautiful skin.

Benefits of using Cashew Nut Oil for Hair

This mild yet sweet, fragrant oil is included in many of your haircare products as well, and it offers a lot of advantages for your hair. Here is how:

6. The pivotal ingredients that play a huge role are Vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids. Acids like linoleic acid (polyunsaturated fats) and oleic acid (monounsaturated fats) are richly present in this oil and can be used for all hair types. The acids may even activate hair cell growth factors (3). This, therefore, renders a smooth and shiny texture to your hair.

7. Again, for those of us who suffer from balding, the solution lies in applying this oil on a regular basis and you will surely note the difference.

8. If you are wondering whether cashew nut oil can treat scalp infections, like psoriasis, think no more because it can!

Having deliberated on the benefits this oil has to endow on your skin and hair, the other major realm it deals with is health in its entire totality. Read further to know about its health benefits.

Benefits of using Cashew Nut Oil for Health

The list below gives an overview of its benefits:

9. This bean-shaped nut, found in tropical climatic regions, is rich in magnesium and calcium. Therefore, cashew oil helps maintain healthy and strong bones and teeth. The fiber in the nut helps in digestion.

10. It may help prevent premature graying of hair by providing the hair and skin with melanin. However, research is limited in this regard.

11. It also aids in providing good sleep to women who are in their menopausal stage.

12. Being rich in Vitamin E, this oil has antioxidant properties. This helps in preventing different types of cancer and other fatal diseases (4). It also helps in improving your body’s immune system. The cashew also exhibits wound healing properties (5).

13. Make this oil a part of your culinary life as it is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid and linoleic acid. This will help lower your LDL cholesterol level and will maintain your heart healthy (4). Alongside, it will also help treat diabetes, and help in weight management. The phytochemicals in the cashews possess antihypertensive activity that lowers blood pressure (6).

Quick Tip

The flavor and aroma of cashew oil are mild and make it ideal for use in cooking as salad dressing and for sauteing.

The benefits of this remarkable nut come from its excellent nutritional qualities. Keep reading to learn about it.

Nutritional Profile Of Cashew Nut Oil

The nutritional value of cashew nut oil is as follows (7):

• Total Fat: 31.83%
• Saturated Fat: 7.78%
• Monounsaturated Fat: 14.52%
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 6.01%
• Carbohydrates: 47.17%
• Proteins: 20.99%
• Dietary Fiber: 22.64 g
• Energy: 1618.05 kcal

These nutrients make cashew nut oil one of the best oils for your health. But how should you use the oil to avail its benefits? Read on to find out.

How To Use Cashew Nut Oil

In Cooking

• You can sauté or fry cashew nut oil due to its high smoke point.
• You can drizzle it over salads or mix it into dressings for a creamy texture and nutty taste.
• Use it in baking recipes as a substitute for butter or other oils to enhance flavor.
• You can mix cashew nut oil into marinades for meats or veggies to give them a rich taste.

In Skincare

• You can apply cashew nut oil directly to your skin for hydration.
• You can use it as a gentle makeup remover. Just massage a small amount on your face and wipe it off with a cotton pad.
• Consider using it for massaging, as it leaves your skin feeling soft and nourished.

In Haircare

• You can apply cashew nut oil to your hair to reduce dryness and add shine.
• Massage it into your scalp to promote healthy hair growth.
• Mix a few drops of the oil into your conditioner for extra moisture and softness.

Cashew nut oil, though good for the skin and hair in general, may not always be a good option for everyone. It may cause skin irritation in some people. Check out the next section for more information.

Side Effects Of Cashew Nut Oil

Although cashew nut oil is generally considered safe, it may cause allergic reactions in people with nut allergies. The reactions may include rashes, burning, bloating, nausea, swelling, stomach ache, and difficulty breathing.

According to a study, an instance of urushiol dermatitis (a type of allergic contact dermatitis) was caused by homemade cashew nut butter contaminated with cashew nut shell oil (8). Therefore, it is important to consume only properly made cashew products and best to avoid them if you are allergic to it.

Infographic: 6 Reasons Cashew Nut Oil Is Good For You

While cashew nut has been used in traditional Brazilian medicine for centuries, today, it is popular across the globe. Its rich vitamin and mineral content helps enhance skin moisture, strengthen hair strands, and maintain bones and teeth. Check out the infographic below to learn about the benefits of including cashew nut oil in your health and skin care regimen.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Does cashew nut oil contain Omega-3 fats?

Yes. Cashew nut oil contains a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acid content (0.14 g/100 g) (9).

Is cashew nut oil good for arthritis?

Cashew nut is one of the main sources of antioxidants. It may help reduce inflammation and pain (10). Therefore, its oil may help relieve pain and discomfort associated with arthritis.

Does cashew nut oil increase collagen?

Though there is not enough scientific evidence to show if cashew nut oil increase collagen, it is said that the high copper content in cashew nut may help increase collagen production.

Does cashew nut oil raise blood sugar?

No, cashew nut oil does not raise blood sugar. Instead, it helps improve blood sugar levels and decrease serum insulin levels (11). Hence, it is helpful for people with diabetes.

Is cashew nut oil harmful to the kidneys?

Cashew nut oil may not be good for kidneys as it contains oxalates. The excess intake of cashew nut oil may cause kidney stones other issues (11).

Can cashew nut oil be used for cooking and baking?

Yes, it is a high quality cooking oil that can also be used for baking and salad dressing.

Is cashew nut oil safe for consumption?

Yes, but you should be careful if you have any nut allergies.

What are the uses of cashew nut oil in traditional medicine?

In traditional medicine, cashew nut oil has been used to treat several skin conditions, including eczema. Anecdotal evidence suggests this oil was also used to treat kidney issues and reduce cholesterol levels.

Is cashew nut oil beneficial for weight loss and metabolism?

As discussed above, it contains omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium which may help improve metabolism and lose weight (11).

How can cashew nut oil be used for massage and aromatherapy?

You can warm the oil and apply it to the affected areas. Since absorbs slowly, massage thoroughly and leave it for 20-30 minutes. You can also inhale them, either directly out of the bottle or through a humidifier.

Illustration: Best Benefits and Uses Of Cashew Nut Oil For Skin Hair and Health

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Watch this video to learn more about the amazing benefits of Cashew nut oil and how it can help nourish and protect your skin and hair.

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Reda ElmardiRDN

   

Reda Elmardi is a registered dietician, certified nutritionist, and certified strength and conditioning specialist trainer. He has more than 10 years of experience and has been an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Trainer since 2015.

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Tanya ChoudharyHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Tanya is an ISSA certified Specialist in Fitness & Nutrition. She specializes in writing articles on ingredients that benefit skin, hair, and health. She believes in the right health and lifestyle practices and strives to promote the same to everyone around her.

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