Walnut vs. Cashew — What’s the Difference?

Calories

Walnut and cashew contain almost the same number of calories per 100g; 654kcal for walnut and 553 for cashew.

1 oz or 28.35g of walnut and cashew provides 185 and 157 calories, respectively.

Proteins and Fats

Both cashew and walnut are remarkably rich in proteins, and both of them contain about the same amount, with cashews being a little richer. Per 100g, walnuts and cashews contain 15.2g and 18.2g of protein, respectively.

In the case of total fats, walnut is slightly richer, with 65.2g per 100g, compared to cashew, which contains 43.8g of total fat.

The predominant fats in walnut are polyunsaturated (47.2g), followed by monounsaturated fats (8g) and saturated fats (6g). Whereas the predominant fats in cashew are monounsaturated (23.8g), followed by equal amounts of polyunsaturated and saturated fats (7.8g each).

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Walnut

2

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 6.126 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 8.933 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 47.174 g

Cashew

1

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 7.783 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 23.797 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 7.845 g

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat	-21.3%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+501.3%

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat

+166.4%

Carbohydrates

Cashew contains over double the amount of total carbs that walnut does, with 30.2g per 100g. Interestingly, walnut, being lower in total carbs, is 2 times higher in dietary fiber than walnut.

Cashews contain 27g of net carbs and 3.3g of dietary fiber, whereas walnuts contain 7g of net carbs and 6.7g of dietary fiber.

Vitamins

Walnut and cashew are rich in vitamins B1 (thiamine) and B6, with cashew being richer in vitamin B1 and walnut being richer in vitamin B6. Walnut is also 4 times richer in folate, whereas cashew is 12.6 times richer in vitamin K.

As for the other vitamins, walnut is a better source of vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and cashew is a slightly better source of vitamin E and vitamin B5. 

Both are low or absent in vitamins A, D, C, and B12.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Walnut

6

Cashew

4

Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C	+160%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+158.6%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+28.8%
Contains more FolateFolate	+292%
Contains more CholineCholine	+∞%

Contains more Vitamin E Vitamin E	+28.6%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+24%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+51.6%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+1163%

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin B3 ~1.062mg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Minerals

Both walnut and cashew are rich in minerals; nevertheless, this section's absolute winner is cashew, which is richer in most minerals.

Cashew is richer in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, selenium, and copper, whereas walnut is richer in manganese and calcium.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Walnut

3

Cashew

7

Contains more CalciumCalcium	+164.9%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-83.3%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+106.3%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+84.8%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+49.7%
Contains more IronIron	+129.6%
Contains more CopperCopper	+38.4%
Contains more ZincZinc	+87.1%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+71.4%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+306.1%

Glycemic Index

In general, nuts usually have low glycemic index values. However, cashews have a higher glycemic index compared to walnut.

Cardiovascular Health

Section reviewed by cardiologist Astghik Grigoryan

For the short-term trials, high-walnut-enriched diets significantly reduced both total and LDL cholesterol. The effects of walnuts on cardiovascular risk and body weight require larger, longer-term studies (3, 4).

According to one study, walnut consumers may reduce diastolic pressure more effectively than systolic (5). Unlike walnuts, cashew nuts reduce systolic pressure better (6).

The significant improvements in low baroreflex sensitivity (essential for blood pressure management) indicate the positive effects of cashew nuts on the cardiovascular system (7).

Diabetes

A study performed in 2018 evaluated the impact of walnut intake both in a healthy group and a group diagnosed with diabetes. Results show no evidence of impact on diabetes blood makers (8).

Another group of scientists studied the impact of cashew nuts on patients with type 2 diabetes and demonstrated that substituting 10% of daily total calorie intake with cashews decreases the serum insulin level, as well as LDL/HDL cholesterols ratio, with no negative impact on patients (9).

Cancer

Walnuts have been studied not to have significant effects on cancer development risk. Moreover, the meta-analysis shows that walnuts can decrease the risk of cancer (10).

However, no statistically substantial studies prove the positive impact of cashew nuts on cancer development. However, cashew nuts contain antioxidants, which can have a positive impact on reducing cancer risk (11).