13 Best Benefits Of Cashew Nut Oil For Skin, Hair And Health
From improving skin texture to preventing gray hair, this nut oil benefits you in many ways.
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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 OilWhat 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.
In This Article
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 TipThe 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 TipCashew 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 (7). 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
Cashew nut oil is gaining popularity for its therapeutic properties. It is rich in various vitamins and minerals. The benefits of cashew nut oil include smoother skin texture, better skin moisture, improve skin complexion, relief from fungal infections, and delayed signs of aging. It also helps treat scalp infections, improves hair texture, maintains strong bones, and lowers LDL cholesterol levels. Include this healthy oil in your diet and enjoy its benefits.
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) (8).
Is cashew nut oil good for arthritis?
Cashew nut is one of the main sources of antioxidants. It may help reduce inflammation and pain(9). 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 (10). 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 (10).
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.
Key Takeaways
- Cashew nut oil may boost your immunity and improve skin and hair health.
- It may help treat wounds, scars, and tooth abscesses with its rich polyphenol and antioxidant content.
- Cashew nut oil may help hydrate your skin, and fade fine lines and wrinkles as it contains Vitamin E.
- The oil may help nourish and strengthen hair, reducing breakage and promoting growth as it is rich in Vitamin E.
- Cashew nut oil may improve heart health as it has monosaturated fatty acids, which reduce LDL cholesterol.
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.
References
Articles on StyleCraze are backed by verified information from peer-reviewed and academic research papers, reputed organizations, research institutions, and medical associations to ensure accuracy and relevance. Read our editorial policy to learn more.
- Discovering the link between nutrition and skin aging
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583891/ - Elementary Chemical Profiling and Antifungal Properties of Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) Nuts
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237358357_Elementary_Chemical_Profiling_and_Antifungal_Properties_of_Cashew_Anacardium_occidentale_L_Nuts - Activation of Hair Cell Growth Factors by Linoleic Acid in Malva verticillata Seed
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8067726/ - Cashew nut oil: effect of kernel grade and a microwave preheating extraction step on chemical composition oxidative stability and bioactivity
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320897721_Cashew_nut_oil_effect_of_kernel_grade_and_a_microwave_preheating_extraction_step_on_chemical_composition_oxidative_stability_and_bioactivity - Anti-inflammatory and wound healing potential of cashew apple juice (Anacardium occidentale L.) in mice
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4935347/ - Antihypertensive activity of roasted cashew nut in mixed petroleum fractions-induced hypertension: An in vivo and in silico approaches
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36578402/ - Cashew nut dermatitis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8153790/ - Nuts, omega-3s and food labels
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC522631/ - Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) Nuts Counteract Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in an Acute Experimental Model of Carrageenan-Induced Paw Edema
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7465066/ - Brazil And Cashew Nuts Intake Improve Body Composition And Endothelial Health In Women At Cardiometabolic Risk (Brazilian Nuts Study): A Randomized Controlled Trial
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35193718/ - Oxalate nephropathy from cashew nut intake
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5359106/
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