Gout Foods: Cashew Nuts and Gout

January 30, 2021

November 7, 2013

Cashew nuts and gout is #91 in my top 100 gout searches, as described in the Gout and You page.

Cashews might just be average nuts, according to the Gout Foods Table for Nuts, but there are some facts about cashew nuts that will interest gout sufferers. Before I explain, please heed the warnings in that nuts table. All nuts and seeds are very high in calories. Excess weight makes gout worse, so limit your nut intake to small occasional portions.

Cashew Nuts and Uric Acid

The first important fact about cashew nuts and gout is that they have no effect on uric acid. That is not particularly exciting news, but it should settle the minds of gout sufferers who worry about the uric acid content of cashews. In Effects of a high walnut and high cashew nut diet on selected markers of the metabolic syndrome: a controlled feeding trial the researchers make it quite clear that neither walnuts nor unsalted cashew nuts had any effect on uric acid in the blood. In that investigation, participants had nuts as 20% of their diet, measured by energy intake. Though it is not a gout-specific investigation, it is human-based rather than animal-based, and therefore very relevant.

More interesting facts about cashew nuts and gout emerge when we look at inflammation.

Cashew Nuts and Inflammation

There are several studies that report anti-inflammatory benefits of cashew nuts. The main benefits appear to be from anacardic acid, which is usually extracted from cashew nut shells. Unfortunately, none of the studies that I have seen so far give any information about the practical use of cashew nuts for inflammation control.

If you see any specific guidance on cashew nut oil for inflammation, or if you know of reliable sources, please share in the gout forums. You can also use the forums to ask for any help you need about using cashew nuts as one of your gout foods.

Remember that you need to limit the number of calories from nuts in your diet. I’ve written about other nuts that you might consider in Are Almonds Good For Gout Foodies.

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