Cashew vs. Almond — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
Almonds are rich in vitamins B2, E, calcium, and manganese. On the other hand, cashews are rich in vitamins K, B1, B6, B5, iron, copper, zinc, and phosphorus.
Table of contents
Introduction
Almonds and cashews are classified as nuts that are highly rich in minerals and different vitamins. They are versatile in how they can be consumed and used in the culinary world.
In this article, we will be comparing the nutritional content of each, the health impact, accessibility and storage, and their downsides.
What's The Actual Difference?
Almond and cashew milk are now widely used as an alternative to dairy milk, especially within the vegan community and lactose intolerant individuals.
Cashews are softer and more delicate in texture than almonds, which are thicker and crunchier. Because almonds have a slightly nutty flavor and cashews have a creamy, buttery flavor, the taste of these two nuts differs slightly.
Almonds are single seeds within flat, slightly porous, beige pods, whereas cashews are kidney or heart-shaped achenes in any regular variation.
Nutrition
Both almonds and cashews are high in nutrients and are excellent sources of healthy compounds.
Calories
Almonds have 579 calories per 100g, whereas cashews provide 553 calories per 100g.
Vitamins
Almonds and cashews are rich in vitamins, but they don't have similar vitamin content.
Almonds are considered one of the nuts with the highest vitamin B2 (riboflavin) content. They contain 1.14mg of vitamin B2 per 100g. The daily requirement of vitamin B2 is 1.3mg for males and 1.1mg for females.
Almonds are also rich in vitamin E, having 25.6mg, with the daily requirement being 15mg a day.
On the other hand, cashews are considered to be rich in vitamin K at 34.1μg and vitamin B complex, specifically, B1, B6, and B5.
Vitamin Comparison
Minerals
Almonds and cashews are food sources that contain a high amount of minerals.
They have similar content of potassium and magnesium with slight differences.
Almonds are rich in calcium and manganese, while cashews are richer in iron, copper, zinc, and phosphorus. Cashews are considered to be a good source of iron.
Mineral Comparison
Fiber
Almonds are relatively more affluent in their dietary fiber content compared to cashews. Almonds provide 12.5g of fiber per 100g, while cashews have 3.3g of fiber.
Fats
Almonds are higher in fats than cashews. They provide 50g of fat per 100g, whereas cashews have 44g of fat.
Almonds and cashews have 31.5g and 23.8g of monounsaturated fats, respectively, and the recommended daily intake is at <33g.
In addition to that, almonds and cashews have 12.3g and 7.8g of polyunsaturated fat content, respectively, and the daily requirement is at <22g.
Fat Type Comparison
Health Impact Similarities
Cardiovascular Health
Studies suggest that consuming almonds may help lower diastolic blood pressure, but it doesn't seem to affect systolic blood pressure. On the other hand, cashew nut intake may help reduce systolic blood pressure, but it doesn't have any impact on diastolic blood pressure (2, 3, 4).
It should be noted that almond and cashew nuts contain peptides that may inhibit ACE enzymes, similar to ACE-inhibitor medications like Captopril and Lisinopril (5, 6).
Unlike cashew nuts, almonds have a consistently positive effect on lipids and lipoproteins by reducing total cholesterol and LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels, resulting in a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (4, 7).
Bone Health
Almonds are rich in calcium and help maintain healthy bones. They are considered a good source of calcium in vegan diets, as one serving of almonds is equivalent to ¼ cup of dairy milk. (8)
Brain Health
The vitamin E content of almonds acts as an antioxidant, protecting the brain tissues from being covered with amyloid plaques, which is the reason for developing Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin E contributes to lowering the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Also, almonds have promising results in showing restorative measures after diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. (9)
Eye Health
Cashews, on the other hand, contain zeaxanthin. Zeaxanthins are yellow-pigmented antioxidants that have a role in protecting the eyes. After ingestion, the zeaxanthins present in cashews get absorbed by the retina and protect the retina from ultraviolet light. Zeaxanthins contribute to the prevention of the disease called Age-related Macular Degeneration AMD. AMD causes blurring of vision, usually while driving or reading, and is expected after age 60. (10)
Diabetes
Almond and Cashew milk is now widely used as an alternative to dairy milk, especially within the vegan community and lactose intolerant individuals. Daily consumption of cashews in diabetic patients lowered their total insulin levels, thus helping to control Diabetes Mellitus. (11)
Accessibility and Storage
The best way to store nuts is to put them in a dark environment. This is because of the photooxidative effect. Healthy fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, can break down and lose their properties if exposed to light for long durations. (12)
Almonds, when roasted or processed, lose some of their nutritional value. Therefore, the most effective and optimal way to consume these nuts is in their raw state. However, cashews should be consumed roasted or steamed because they contain urushiol, a toxic compound in poison ivy. So, the processing of cashews makes them free of urushiol. In addition to that, almonds and cashews are being used as alternatives to unhealthy snacks. Regarding the vegan community and individuals who are lactose intolerant, almond and cashew milk are excellent alternatives to dairy milk, most specifically almond milk, due to their rich calcium content.
Downsides
In some cultures, almonds and cashews are consumed with kernels and other nuts, often roasted and salted. One must be careful when consuming them in their salted processing, as the sodium content of both nuts will be elevated.
Almonds and cashews might cause allergic reactions. These reactions can range from low severity to a simple itching of the lips or can be high severity and lead to shortness of breath (anaphylaxis) and require medical intervention.
In some people, consuming high amounts of sweet almonds while taking diabetes medications might cause severe hypoglycemia, a severe decrease in blood sugar levels.
Almonds and cashews have moderate amounts of oxalate. When high amounts of these nuts are consumed over the long term, the risks of kidney stone formation increase. These are calcium oxalate stones, leading to Oxalate Nephropathy (kidney stones). (13)
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5762129/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229920301849
- https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/fo/c6fo00654j/unauth
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32444052/
- https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/fo/c6fo00654j/unauth
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942912.2017.1325902
- https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/69/4/171/1909266
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2937319/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770730/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6408729/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6400731/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5359106/
Infographic
Macronutrient Comparison
Carbohydrate type comparison
Comparison summary table
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| Rich in minerals |
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| Lower in Sugar |
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| Lower in Sodium |
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| Lower in Saturated Fat |
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| Lower in Glycemic Index |
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| Lower in price |
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| Lower in Cholesterol | Equal | ||
| Rich in vitamins | Equal | ||
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
| Nutrient | |
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Opinion |
| Net carbs | 26.89g | 9.05g |
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| Protein | 18.22g | 21.15g |
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| Fats | 43.85g | 49.93g |
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| Carbs | 30.19g | 21.55g |
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| Calories | 553kcal | 579kcal |
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| Starch | 23.49g | 0.72g |
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| Fructose | 0.05g | 0.11g |
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| Sugar | 5.91g | 4.35g |
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| Fiber | 3.3g | 12.5g |
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| Calcium | 37mg | 269mg |
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| Iron | 6.68mg | 3.71mg |
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| Magnesium | 292mg | 270mg |
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| Phosphorus | 593mg | 481mg |
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| Potassium | 660mg | 733mg |
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| Sodium | 12mg | 1mg |
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| Zinc | 5.78mg | 3.12mg |
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| Copper | 2.195mg | 1.031mg |
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| Manganese | 1.655mg | 2.179mg |
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| Selenium | 19.9µg | 4.1µg |
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| Vitamin A | 0IU | 2IU |
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| Vitamin E | 0.9mg | 25.63mg |
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| Vitamin C | 0.5mg | 0mg |
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| Vitamin B1 | 0.423mg | 0.205mg |
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| Vitamin B2 | 0.058mg | 1.138mg |
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| Vitamin B3 | 1.062mg | 3.618mg |
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| Vitamin B5 | 0.864mg | 0.471mg |
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| Vitamin B6 | 0.417mg | 0.137mg |
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| Folate | 25µg | 44µg |
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| Vitamin K | 34.1µg | 0µg |
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| Tryptophan | 0.287mg | 0.211mg |
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| Threonine | 0.688mg | 0.601mg |
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| Isoleucine | 0.789mg | 0.751mg |
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| Leucine | 1.472mg | 1.473mg |
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| Lysine | 0.928mg | 0.568mg |
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| Methionine | 0.362mg | 0.157mg |
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| Phenylalanine | 0.951mg | 1.132mg |
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| Valine | 1.094mg | 0.855mg |
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| Histidine | 0.456mg | 0.539mg |
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| Trans Fat | 0.015g |
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| Saturated Fat | 7.783g | 3.802g |
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| Monounsaturated Fat | 23.797g | 31.551g |
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| Polyunsaturated fat | 7.845g | 12.329g |
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| Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid | 0g | 0.002g |
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| Omega-6 - Linoleic acid | 12.32g |
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| Omega-3 - ALA | 0.003g |
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Which food is preferable for your diet?
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| Low Fats diet |
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| Low Carbs diet |
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| Low Calories diet |
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| Low Glycemic Index diet |
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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
Comparison summary
References
All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.
- Cashew - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170162/nutrients
- Almond - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170567/nutrients
All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.