The cashew is a seed native to northeastern Brazil but produced in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Vietnam, and India. The cashew tree belongs to the family that includes mangoes and pistachios. The seed can be used for snacking and cooking. People have used cashew butter to as a substitute for peanut butter although people still may be allergic to cashews.

Here are the 7 health benefits of cashews.

1. Cashews could help prevent gallstones.

Diets high in cholesterol have been associated with gallstones. Gallstones are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that can form in the gallbladder. They can range in size from a grain of sand to the size of a golf ball. The most common type of gallstones is cholesterol gallstones, which appears yellow. Diets including cashews are associated with healthy cholesterol levels, which can help decrease your risk of gallstones.

2. Cashews could help you lose weight.

Although cashews are high in fat with being 46 percent fat, cashews are nutrient-dense with ample of minerals and fatty acids that aid in weight loss. Also, cashews are full of dietary fiber, which could help you feel fuller for more extended periods.

3. Cashews could help improve a healthy heart.

Cashews are phenomenal sources of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K, which are vital to helping prevent heart disease. Cashews could help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) also known as bad cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol levels could increase the risk of atherosclerosis.

4. Cashews could help improve your bone health.

Cashews contain minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium and vitamins like vitamin K could improve the bone mineralization of bones and prevent bone fractures and osteoporosis.

5. Cashews could help improve your blood pressure.

High blood pressure occurs when the pressure in the blood is high against the blood vessels. Diets high in sodium increase the risk of high blood pressure, which is why the World Health Organization recommends people to eat under five grams of sodium per day. Also, a diet high in potassium helps your blood vessel relax. Cashews are high in potassium and low in sodium. One ounce or 28.4 grams of cashews contain 187 mg of potassium and 3 mg of sodium, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

6. Cashews may help prevent some types of migraines.

A migraine is a headache disorder associated with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sound, or smell. Cashews contain phytosterols, which could reduce headache duration and incidences. Cashews also could fight blood sugar and hypoglycemia, known to trigger migraines.

7. Cashews could help fight anemia.

Iron deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia caused by the body’s inability produce red blood cells because of insufficient iron in the body. Iron in a protein called hemoglobin binds to oxygen in the red blood cells to transport oxygen to other parts of the body. One ounce or 28.4 g of cashews contains 10% of iron.