The cashew tree is a tropical evergreen tree that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple accessory fruit. The tree can grow as high as 14 m, but the dwarf cultivars, growing up to 6 m, prove more profitable, with earlier maturity and greater yields.

Research suggests that people who eat a small serving of cashews every day see a minor reduction in LDL “bad” cholesterol. In addition to lowering rates of LDL cholesterol, cashews may help to prevent heart disease due to their high magnesium content.