Cashew

Anacardium Occidentale

Other Names: Anacarde, Anacardier, Anacardium occidentale, Anacardo, Cajou, Cajuil, East Indian Almond, Kaju, Marañon, Noix d’Anacarde, Noix-Cajou, Noix de Cajou, Pomme-Cajou.
Cashew is a tree. Its nut, also known as cashew, is commonly eaten as food. People also use the nut to make medicine. Cashew nuts are actually the kidney-shaped seeds that adhere to the bottom of the cashew apple, the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil.

Special Precautions of Cashews

• The seed is surrounded by a double shell containing an allergenic phenolic resin, anacardic acid, a potent skin irritant chemically related to the better-known allergenic oil urushiol which is also a toxin found in the related poison ivy. Properly roasting cashews destroys the toxin, but it must be done outdoors as the smoke (not unlike that from burning poison ivy) contains urushiol droplets which can cause severe, sometimes life-threatening, reactions by irritating the lungs. People who are allergic to cashew (or poison ivy) urushiols may cross-react to mango or pistachio which are also in the Anacardiaceae family. Some people are allergic to cashews, but cashews are a less frequent allergen than tree nuts or peanuts.
• Cashews are in the same family as poison ivy and poison sumac. Like the others in this family, the cashew plant contains powerful chemical irritants, so handling and eating raw cashews will cause the familiar itchy skin reaction in people sensitive to the chemicals. People who are sensitive to one plant in the family, for example poison ivy, are likely to be sensitive to others. The irritants are found in the shell oil, but not in the nuts themselves. Handling the shell or eating a nut with shell oil on it can cause the reaction.
• Sodium Content : Too much of a good thing can be bad for your health. Unless you are diligent in seeking out unsalted cashews, you may be adding significant amounts of sodium to your diet when noshing on this salty treat. An adult only requires 1,500 mg of sodium per day, while the tolerable upper limit for adults is 2,300 mg. A single ounce of cashews contains 5 mg of sodium, if they are unsalted. However, salted cashews can add 87 g of sodium per ounce. High sodium intake can leave to high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and kidney disease.
• Allergies : Allergies to cashews are on the rise, according to a study published in the December 2003 edition of the journal "Allergy." The study points out that this is concerning because it affects young children who may have never previously been exposed. A further concern is raised in a 2005 article published in the journal "Archives of Disease in Childhood": Anaphylaxis, or constricting of the airways, was found to be more common in cashew allergies than in peanut allergies.
• Possible Drug Interactions : Cashews have a high magnesium content, generally 82.5 mg of magnesium per ounce. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes a number of drug interactions with magnesium. Quinolone antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin, and magnesium bind together, preventing adequate absorption of the antibiotic. Magnesium may also interact with blood pressure medications and calcium channel blockers, increasing the likelihood of adverse side effects from the medications, such as nausea and water retention. Magnesium from cashews may also interact with diabetic medications, thyroid medications, diuretics and penicillamine. Pay close attention to drug information and if medications list magnesium as a concern, be aware that cashews may contribute to drug interactions.
• Weight Gain : With a small 1-oz. portion packing a 163 calories and healthy unsaturated fats, this snack could help you tip the scale if you are not careful with portion sizes. Even healthy fats need to be consumed in moderation. Excessive weight gain puts you at risk for high cholesterol, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, stroke, heart disease and many other medical conditions.

The benefits of Cashews are

• Cashew nuts are an excellent source of copper, and a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and zinc.
• Not only do cashew nuts have a lower fat content than most other nuts, approximately 82% of their fat is unsaturated fatty acids, plus about 66% of this unsaturated fatty acid content are heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, similar to those found in olive oil. The fatty acids are made up of oleic acid, which is known to promote cardiovascular health and helps those people with cases of diabetes. Studies of diabetic patients show that monounsaturated fat, when added to a low-fat diet, can help to reduce high triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are a form in which fats are carried in the blood, and high triglyceride levels are associated with an increased risk for heart disease, so ensuring you have some monounsaturated fats in your diet by enjoying cashews is a good idea, especially for persons with diabetes.
• Antibacterial : One of the most incredible compounds in cashew nuts are anacardic acids which kill gram positive bacteria responsible for causing tooth decay, acne, tuberculosis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Francisella tularensis, and leprosy. A solution of one part anacardic acid to 200,000 parts water to as low as one part in 2,000,000 is actually lethal to Gram positive bacteria in 15 minutes.
• Cashew nuts are rich in copper which produces an important hair and skin pigment called melanin.
• It also contains nutrients that aid in fighting carcinogens and heart diseases. It also enhances the malleability of blood vessels :
• According to a new study, cashew nuts were found to reduce the risk of developing gallbladder stones.
• Cancer : A team behind a recent analysis reported that consumption of nuts – including cashew nuts was found to be inversely associated with risk of pancreatic cancer, independent of other potential risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Cashews contain several antioxidant compounds that are regarded as anticancer agents. The National Cancer Institute explains that free radicals, which are damaged molecules, attack healthy cells, altering DNA and potentially leading to cancer. Proanthocyanidins are some of the antioxidant compounds found in cashews. These beneficial chemicals may have the ability to stop the growth of certain cancer cells. Cashew nut-shell liquid and the contained anacardic acids have also been shown to possess antioxidant, anti-Helicobacter pylori and antitumor properties. This means it has the tools to defeat both cancer and many types of ulcers in the gut. Despite these known effects; there are hardly any published reports on many of these protective effects, especially the gastroprotection afforded principally through its antioxidant mechanisms.
• Help Prevent Gallstones : Twenty years of dietary data collected on 80,000 women from the Nurses’ Health Study shows that women who eat least 1 ounce of cashew nuts each week have a 25% lower risk of developing gallstones. Since 1 ounce is only 28.6 nuts or about 2 tablespoons of nut butter, preventing gallbladder disease may be as easy as having a handful of cashews as an afternoon pick me up, or tossing some cashews on your oatmeal or salad.
• Reduce Diabetes Risk : Cashews are beneficial for controlling blood sugar, according to a study in the December 2010 issue of "Molecular Nutrition and Food Research." In the study, researchers from the University of Montreal tested an extract from cashew nuts, which contains anacardic acid, on lab rats. The results of their study show that the anacardic acid improves the ability of sugar to enter cells, which decreases the amount of sugar circulating in the bloodstream. Cashews also may promote the metabolism of sugar into energy, a process called glycolysis. Controlling blood-sugar levels reduces the risk of developing diabetes, a condition often associated with obesity and heart disease.
• Obesity : Lowers Risk of Weight Gain : Although cashew nuts are known to provide a variety of cardio-protective benefits, many avoid them for fear of weight gain. A prospective study published in the journal Obesity shows such fears are groundless. In fact, people who eat nuts at least twice a week are much less likely to gain weight than those who almost never eat nuts.