Dietician recommends cashew nuts for children’s brain devt

Dietician recommends cashew nuts for children’s brain devt
NAN-HG-35
Cashew
By Maureen Ojinaka 08066426736
Enugu, Feb. 21, 2018 (NAN) Mrs Henrietta Ugwu, a Dietician with the Enugu State Ministry of Health, has recommended cashew nuts for children’s brain development.
Ugwu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Enugu that cashew nuts were rich in magnesium.
She said the nut has high minerals, but specifically rich in magnesium more than other nuts.
According to her, magnesium stands out in cashew nut because of its role in brain development.
“Cashew nuts strengthens and develops the nerves that help in relaying massages within some seconds from one point to another, until it gets to the brain.
“Magnesium also helps in the production of pancreas in the body system, which at the end helps in the production of hormones,” she said.
Ugwu noted that cashew nut was high in protein and essential fatty acid, adding that the fat contained in it was heart-friendly and could not get congealed, irrespective of its level of temperature.
The dietician said that cashew nut contained iron and zinc for the production of blood in the body and cell development.
“Iron is one of the minerals that help in the production of blood in the body, while zinc does the work of body defence, plays a role in cell division, cell growth, wound healing, as well as helping in the breakdown of carbohydrate,” the dietician said.
According to her, zinc is required during pregnancy, infancy and childhood, because the body needed it to grow properly.
She advised parents to always add cashew nut to their children’s snacks for healthy growth and brain development. (NAN)
OJI/FLP/MST
Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Muhammad Suleiman Tola