Cashews: fewer calories than the label, no clear win for cholesterol

In one feeding trial of 18 adults, cashews gave fewer calories than the label. A 28 g serving delivered 137 kcal the body could use, 16 percent below the figure on food labels, and from one person to the next it ranged between 105 and 151 kcal. That discount is smaller for cashew butter and roasted nuts. Across 21 studies of six nut types, the body got the most energy from nut butter, then roasted nuts, then raw whole ones. The cholesterol story is much less settled. A meta-analysis that pooled three cashew trials found no significant change in LDL or any other blood fat. One trial in 51 adults with high LDL did see a difference. LDL changed by a median -4.8% on cashews against +1.2% on a potato chip diet, and only that gap between the two diets was clear, the change on cashews alone could have been zero. The most tightly controlled study, where 42 adults had every meal supplied for four weeks, found no change in blood fats, blood pressure or blood glucose. When 34 nut trials were ranked side by side, pistachios and walnuts beat the control diet, no such result was reported for cashews, and the reviewers rated all of it low in quality. So the studies exist and they disagree. Until larger trials settle it, cashews have not been shown to lower your cholesterol.

How much is actually in it

• In one feeding trial of 18 adults, a 28 g serving of cashews delivered 137 kcal of usable energy, 16% less than food labels state, ranging 105 to 151 kcal between people. — 18 healthy adults, 42 g cashews a day for 4 weeks (n = 18) Evidence B source
  137 kcal per 28 g (SEM 3.4), 16% below label, p < 0.0001

What a real portion looks like

• Asked for a handful, across six nut types, 120 adults took a median 36.3 g, more than the recommended 30 g serving. — 120 adults serving six nut types (n = 120) Evidence B source
  Handful median 36.3 g, 30 g serving estimate 28.7 g

What your body absorbs

• Adding 42 g of cashews a day lowered fat digestibility of the whole diet from 97.8% to 96.1% in 18 adults. — 18 healthy adults, 42 g cashews a day for 4 weeks (n = 18) Evidence B source
  Fat digestibility 96.1% vs 97.8%, p = 0.0009

What cooking and storage change

• Across 21 studies of six nut types, usable energy from nuts rose with processing, highest for nut butter, then roasted, then raw, and for flour over whole nuts. — 21 human and in vitro studies of almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts and peanuts (n = 21) Evidence B source
  ME order butter > roasted > raw, flour > chopped > whole
• Roasting and other heat treatment mostly leave cashew allergens intact, according to in vitro studies in a review of 32 articles. — 32 articles on processed tree nuts (n = 32) Evidence D source
  Seed storage proteins heat stable

What it does to your health

• A meta-analysis of cashew trials found no significant change in LDL cholesterol (SMD -0.18, 95% CI -0.75 to 0.39) or other blood lipids. — 6 RCTs, 531 participants, 3 pooled (n = 531) Evidence A source
  LDL SMD -0.18 (-0.75, 0.39), TC SMD -0.02, TG SMD -0.01, HDL SMD 0.09
• In 51 adults with raised LDL, 28 to 64 g of cashews a day for 28 days changed LDL by a median -4.8% versus +1.2% on a potato chip control diet. — 51 adults aged 21-73 with raised LDL, 28-64 g cashews a day for 28 days vs potato chips (n = 51) Evidence B source
  LDL median -4.8% (95% CI -12.6, 3.1) vs +1.2% (-2.3, 7.8), P < 0.05

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a trial of 196 infants given a teaspoon of cashew spread three times a week from 6 to 8 months, one had a delayed facial swelling and eczema flare, none in the cashew group had cashew allergy at age 1, and the authors called it feasible and safe. — 196 term infants randomised at 6-8 months, cashew spread 3 times a week (n = 196) Evidence B source
  1 delayed reaction, 1 cashew allergy (control arm) at 1 year
• Challenge-confirmed tree nut allergy affects under 2% of people, and cashew is among the most common tree nut allergies in the USA. — 36 prevalence studies, children and adults (n = 36) Evidence C source
  Prevalence < 2% (food challenge), probable 0.05-4.9%
• A man with chronic kidney disease developed oxalate kidney injury after eating 3 to 4 oz (about 85-115 g) of cashews daily for a year. — 78-year-old man with chronic kidney disease (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Creatinine 6.0 vs baseline 2.05 mg/dL

What people believe that the data does not support

• According to the trial report that describes it, cashews are excluded from the US qualified heart health claim for nuts because of their saturated fat, although about one third of that fat is stearic acid. — US labelling rules (n = -) Evidence E source
  Regulatory context

Who this works differently for

• In 300 Asian Indian adults with type 2 diabetes, 30 g of cashews a day for 12 weeks lowered systolic pressure by 4.9 mm Hg versus 1.7 mm Hg in controls, without changing weight or glycaemia. — 300 Asian Indian adults with type 2 diabetes, 30 g cashews a day for 12 weeks (n = 300) Evidence B source
  SBP -4.9 vs -1.7 mm Hg (P = 0.04), HDL +1.7 vs +0.1 mg/dL (P = 0.01)
• In 142 adolescents with obesity, 30 g of roasted cashews a day for 12 weeks was followed by a smaller waist and lower oxidative damage marker TBARS, with other body measures unchanged. — 142 adolescents with obesity, 30 g roasted cashews a day plus nutrition education for 12 weeks (n = 142) Evidence B source
  WC and TBARS decreased in cashew group, size not given in abstract
• In 81 adolescents with obesity, 30 g of roasted cashews a day for 12 weeks lowered plasma copper compared with controls, and the abstract gives neither the size of the fall nor its clinical meaning. — 81 adolescents with obesity who completed 12 weeks, 30 g roasted cashews a day (n = 81) Evidence B source
  Plasma Cu decreased vs control, p = 0.004, size not given in abstract

What is still unknown

• In a tightly controlled feeding trial of 42 adults, 42 g of cashews a day for 4 weeks did not change blood lipids, blood pressure or blood glucose. — 42 adults, 42 g cashews a day for 4 weeks, weight stable (n = 42) Evidence B source
  No significant differences, PCSK9 decreased without LDL change
• In a network meta-analysis of 34 trials with 1677 people, only pistachio and walnut diets were reported to lower blood lipids more than control, with no such result stated for cashews, and evidence quality was rated low. — 34 trials, 1677 participants, five nut types (n = 1677) Evidence A source
  Pistachio ranked best, no cashew benefit reported, low certainty

The bottom line

Portions drift upward. Asked for a handful, across six nut types, 120 adults took a median 36.3 g, more than the 30 g serving they were aiming at. Part of the reason for the calorie discount on whole nuts is that some of the fat simply passes through: adding 42 g of cashews a day lowered fat digestibility of the whole diet from 97.8 to 96.1 percent. American labels allow a qualified heart claim for nuts, and the trial report we hold says cashews are shut out of it because of their saturated fat. The same report points out that about a third of that fat is stearic acid, which it describes as relatively neutral for blood fats. That is those authors' description of the rule and of the fat, the FDA text itself is not in our layer, and nobody has put the stearic acid point to a trial on this page. Two groups did show changes. In 300 Asian Indian adults with type 2 diabetes, 30 g a day for 12 weeks lowered systolic pressure by 4.9 mm Hg against 1.7 in controls, nudged HDL up, and left weight and blood sugar where they were. In adolescents with obesity, 30 g of roasted cashews a day for 12 weeks came with a smaller waist and less of one marker of oxidative damage, with no size given in the abstract. A related trial in 81 of these teenagers found that blood copper fell on cashews compared with controls. The abstract gives neither the size of that fall nor whether it matters for health. Allergy is the main reason to be careful. Tree nut allergy confirmed by a supervised food challenge affects under 2 percent of people, and cashew is one of the most common in the United States. Roasting does not solve it. Lab studies show the cashew allergens mostly survive heat. For babies, one trial gave 196 infants a teaspoon of cashew spread three times a week from 6 to 8 months. One baby had a delayed facial swelling and an eczema flare, and none in the cashew group had cashew allergy at age 1. The authors called it feasible and safe. That was spread, never whole nuts. This page has no study on babies who already have severe eczema or another food allergy. For them, the first taste is a question for your paediatrician. If you have chronic kidney disease, there is one warning to know about. A 78-year-old man with kidney disease developed oxalate damage to his kidneys after eating 3 to 4 oz (about 85-115 g) of cashews a day for a year, which is three to four servings every day. That is a single case, so it cannot tell you a safe amount, and it is a question for your kidney doctor. We have no study here on cashews in pregnancy or alongside medicines, so this page cannot say anything about either.

Sources

1. cshw-b1-01 · RCT
   The average available energy (calorie) content of a 28 g serving of cashew nuts was 137 kcal (±3.4 kcal SEM) and ranged from 105 to 151 kcal. The mean value of 137 kcal/serving is 16% lower (p < 0.0001) than what is typically found on food labels.
   Nutrients, 2018 · checked 2026-09-23
2. cshw-b1-15 · randomised study
   Combining all nut types, the median 'handful' was 36.3 g, compared to 28.7 g for the estimated '30 g serving' and 24.8 for the 'usual serving'.
   Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 · checked 2026-09-23
3. cshw-b1-02 · RCT
   Digestibility of energy, fat, protein, and carbohydrate was lower for the cashew-containing diet compared to the control diet (92.9% vs. 94.9%, p < 0.0001 for energy; 96.1% vs. 97.8%, p = 0.0009 for fat;
   Nutrients, 2018 · checked 2026-09-23
4. cshw-b1-03 · systematic review
   The ME of nuts was consistently lower than that predicted by Atwater factors for investigated nut types (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, and peanuts)... ME was influenced by nut type (ME = 22.6 kJ/g for pistachios; ME = 18.5 kJ/g for raw almonds), physical form (flour > chopped > whole nuts), heat processing (butter > roasted > raw) and dose of consumption.
   Adv Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-23
5. cshw-b1-13 · systematic review, in vitro
   The majority of the in vitro studies investigating the allergenicity of nonspecific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) and seed storage proteins in hazelnut, almond, cashew nut, Brazil nut, walnut, pecan nut and pistachio nut show heat stability towards different thermal processing methods.
   Allergy, 2013 · checked 2026-09-23
6. cshw-b1-04 · meta-analysis
   Six randomized clinical trials comprising 531 participants were included in this systematic review. Three studies were included in the meta-analysis model. There were no significant changes for total cholesterol (TC) (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.02, 95% CI: -0.32, 0.28), triglycerides (TG) (SMD: -0.01, 95% CI: -0.22, 0.20), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (SMD: 0.09, 95% CI: -0.16, 0.34), or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (SMD: -0.18, 95% CI: -0.75, 0.39).
   Complement Med Res, 2020 · checked 2026-09-23
7. cshw-b1-05 · RCT
   51 men and women (aged 21-73 y) with a median LDL-cholesterol concentration of 159 mg/dL (95% CI: 146, 165 mg/dL) at screening consumed typical American diets with cashews (28-64 g/d;... LDL cholesterol [-4.8% (95% CI: -12.6%, 3.1%) compared with 1.2% (95% CI: -2.3%, 7.8%), respectively]
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2017 · checked 2026-09-23
8. cshw-b1-11 · RCT
   Only one infant had delayed (at 5 h) facial swelling and eczema flare to cashew introduction at 6.5 months, but no cashew allergy at 1 year. Only one infant (Control) had cashew allergy at 1 year, and this infant had not been introduced to cashew prior to 12 months of age. CONCLUSION: Regular infant consumption of one teaspoon of cashew nut spread three times per week from 6 to 8 months of age was found to be feasible and safe.
   Pediatr Allergy Immunol, 2023 · checked 2026-09-23
9. cshw-b1-12 · systematic review of observational studies
   Challenge-confirmed IgE-mediated tree nut allergy prevalence was less than 2 % (although only seven studies used this gold standard) while probable tree nut allergy prevalence ranged from 0.05 to 4.9 %... Prevalence of individual tree nut allergies varied significantly by region with hazelnut the most common tree nut allergy in Europe, walnut and cashew in the USA
   Curr Allergy Asthma Rep, 2015 · checked 2026-09-23
10. cshw-b1-14 · case report
    He underwent a kidney biopsy, which showed acute tubular injury associated with extensive calcium oxalate crystal deposition. On revisiting his history, it was discovered that the patient had been consuming 3-4 oz of cashew nuts daily for the last 1 year.
    Kidney Med, 2026 · checked 2026-09-23
11. cshw-b1-07 · background statement
    Although a qualified Food and Drug Administration health claim exists for nuts and heart health, cashews have been exempt from its use because cashews exceed the disqualifying amount of saturated fatty acids. Approximately one-third of the saturated fat in cashews is stearic acid, which is relatively neutral on blood lipids
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2017 · checked 2026-09-23
12. cshw-b1-08 · RCT
    Participants in the intervention group had a greater decrease in systolic blood pressure from baseline to 12 wk than did controls (-4.9 ± 13.7 compared with -1.7 ± 11.6 mm Hg; P = 0.04) and a greater increase in plasma HDL cholesterol compared with controls (+1.7 ± 5.6 compared with +0.1 ± 4.6 mg/dL; P = 0.01). There were no differences between the groups with respect to changes in body weight, BMI, blood lipid, and glycemic variables.
    J Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-09-23
13. cshw-b1-09 · RCT
    involving adolescents randomly assigned to receive either 30 g of roasted cashew nuts together with nutrition education (cashew nut group-CNG) or only nutrition education (control group-CG). The total number of participants who started the study was 142... After 12 weeks, the consumption of cashew nuts seemed to assist in WC reduction, even without a decrease in other anthropometric parameters
    Nutr Res, 2025 · checked 2026-09-23
14. cshw-b1-10 · RCT
    The CASN group received 30 g/day of roasted cashew nuts for 12 weeks... CASN had a negative effect on the Cu concentration, which was significantly different from that of CON (p = 0.004).
    Nutrients, 2024 · checked 2026-09-23
15. cshw-b1-06 · RCT
    A total of 42 adults participated in a controlled-feeding study conducted as a randomized crossover trial with 2 treatment phases... There were no significant differences in blood lipids, blood pressure, augmentation index, blood glucose, endothelin, adhesion molecules, or clotting factors in this weight-stable cohort.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-09-23
16. cshw-b1-16 · network meta-analysis
    Thirty-four trials enrolling 1677 participants were included in this study. The pistachio-enriched diet was ranked best for TG (SUCRA: 85%), LDL cholesterol (SUCRA: 87%), and TC (SUCRA: 96%) reductions... The pistachio-enriched and walnut-enriched diets were more effective at lowering TG, LDL cholesterol, and TC compared with the control diet... However, these findings are limited by the low quality of evidence ratings.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2020 · checked 2026-09-23