Participants who ate cashews also saw improvements in liver function biomarkers
A recent study published in Frontiers in Nutrition set out to assess the effect of eating cashews and cashew nut oil on body fat as well as adiposity, cardiometabolic and liver function indicators during weight-loss treatment.
The study was a randomized controlled-feeding study involving 68 adults with overweight or obesity. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The cashew group ate 30 grams of cashews per day, the cashew nut oil group consumed 30 mL of cashew nut oil per day, and the control group did not eat cashews or cashew nut oil. All three groups followed an energy-restricted diet (−500 kcal/day).
By the end of the eight-week study period, all groups had seen decreases in weight and body fat. In addition, the cashew group saw reductions in liver function biomarkers, the cashew nut oil group saw improvements in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and the atherogenic index, and both intervention groups saw reductions in apolipoprotein-B and neck circumference (both cardiovascular risk factors). The findings underscore the benefits of incorporating cashews and cashew nut oil into energy-restricted diets in individuals with overweight or obesity.
Meneguelli, T. S., Kravchychyn, A. C. P., Wendling, A. L., Dionísio, A. P., Bressan, J., Martino, H. S. D., … & Hermsdorff, H. H. M. (2024). Cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) and cashew nut oil reduce cardiovascular risk factors in adults on weight-loss treatment: a randomized controlled three-arm trial (Brazilian Nuts Study). Frontiers in Nutrition, 11.