The Food and Drug Administration excluded cashews from its qualified health claim about nuts because they’re too high in saturated fats that typically affect cholesterol. However, 40% of the saturated fat of cashews comes from stearic acid, which has little effect on cholesterol. That’s why a 2017 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition sought to learn how cashews affect cholesterol. People who consumed between 28 grams to 64 grams (about one or two ounces) of cashews a day lowered their cholesterol by almost 4% in 28 days compared to eating potato chips. They also reduced their LDL cholesterol by almost 5%.
Another risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure. A 2019 meta-analysis in Current Developments in Nutrition combined the results of five studies that investigated the benefits of cashews on blood pressure and cholesterol. Although the analysis didn’t find significant changes in cholesterol levels, cashews do have a lowering effect on triglycerides. Cashews can also reduce systolic blood pressure by 5 points and diastolic blood pressure by 1 point.