Cashew

August 20th, 2007

Botanical Name:Anacardium occidentale;Scintific Name:Anacardium curatellifolium

Family : Anacardiaceae.
Portuguese Name: Caju (the fruit) or Cajueiro (the tree).
Common names include: Cajueiro, cashew, cashu, casho, acajuiba, caju, acajou, acaju, acajaiba, alcayoiba, anacarde, anacardier, anacardo, cacajuil, cajou, gajus, jocote maranon, maranon, merey, noix dâ€™acajou, pomme cajou, pomme, jambu, jambu golok, jambu mete, jambu monyet, jambu terong, kasoy.
Parts Used: Leaves, bark, fruit, nut

The plant is native to northeastern Brazil. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew â€œnutsâ€ and cashew apples.

It is a small evergreen tree growing to 10-12 m tall, with a short, often irregularly-shaped trunk. The leaves are spirally arranged, leathery textured, elliptic to obovate, 4 to 22 cm long and 2 to 15 cm broad, with a smooth margin. The flowers are produced in a panicle or corymb up to 26 cm long, each flower small, pale green at first then turning reddish, with five slender, acute petals 7 to 15 mm long.

What appears to be the fruit of the cashew tree is an oval or pear-shaped accessory fruit or false fruit that develops from the receptacle of the cashew flower. Called the cashew apple, better known in Central America as â€œmaraÃ±Ã³nâ€, it ripens into a yellow and/or red structure about 5â€“11 cm long.

The true fruit of the cashew tree is a kidney or boxing-glove shaped drupe that grows at the end of the pseudofruit. Actually, the drupe develops first on the tree, and then the peduncle expands into the pseudofruit. Within the true fruit is a single seed, the cashew nut. Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense the fruit of the cashew is a seed. However, the true fruit is classified as a nut by some botanists. The seed is surrounded by a double shell containing a caustic phenolic resin, urushiol, a potent skin irritant toxin also found in the related poison ivy. Some people are allergic to cashews, but cashews are a less frequent allergen than some other nuts.

Other vernacular names include cajueiro, cashu, casho, acajuiba, caju, acajou, acaju, acajaiba, alcayoiba, anacarde, anacardier, anacardo, cacajuil, cajou, gajus, jocote maranon, maranon, merey, noix dâ€™acajou, pomme cajou, pomme, jambu, jambu golok, jambu mete, jambu monyet, jambu terong, kasoy. In the Antilles, specifically Puerto Rico, it is known as pajuil and the pseudofruit is the main used part as raw fruit.

USES:

The cashew apple is used for its juicy but acidic pulp, which can be eaten raw or used in the production of jam, chutney, or various beverages. Depending on local customs, its juice is also processed and distilled into liquor or consumed diluted and sugared as a refreshing drink, CajuÃna. Ripe cashew apples also make good caipirinha. In Goa, India, the cashew apple is the source of juicy pulp used to prepare fenny, a locally popular distilled liquor. In Nicaragua the cashew apple has many uses, it is often eaten or made into juice and also processed to create sweets and jellies. Other uses in Nicaragua include fermentation to produce wine and home-vinegar. The cashew apple contains much tannin and is very perishable. For this reason, in many parts of the world, the false fruit is simply discarded after removal of the cashew nut.

The urushiol must be removed from the dark green nut shells before the seed inside is processed for consumption; this is done by shelling the nuts, a somewhat hazardous process, and exceedingly painful skin rashes (similar to poison-ivy rashes) among processing workers are common. In India urushiol is traditionally used to control tamed elephants by its mahout (rider or keeper). The so-called â€œraw cashewsâ€ available in health food shops have been cooked but not roasted or browned.

Cashew nuts are a common ingredient in Asian cooking. They can also be ground into a spread called cashew butter similar to peanut butter. Cashews have a very high oil content, and they are used in some other nut butters to add extra oil. Cashews contain 180 calories per ounce (6 calories per gram), 70% of which are from fat.

The liquid contained within the shell casing of the cashew, known as Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL), has a variety of industrial uses which were first developed in the 1930s. CNSL is fractionated in a process similar to the distillation of petroleum, and has two primary end products: solids that are pulverized and used as friction particle for brake linings, and an amber-colored liquid that is aminated to create phenalkamine curing agents and resin modifiers. Phenalkamines are primarily used in epoxy coatings for the marine and flooring markets, as they have intense hydrophobic properties and are capable of remaining chemically active at low temperatures.

Cashu has less fat than Almond,walnuts,peanuts and peacans.They are power fruit having Protein, Fiber,Potassium,Magnissium,Selenium,Iron and Zinc.Added to this it contains high Vitamine C and Vitamin B1.Cashu makes delicious nut milk;its high Iron content helps forming red pigment in the blood. When eaten in moderation,they are very useful addition to healthy diet. To enjoy benefits of itâ€™s best, always keep them in a airtight container.

CURRENT PRACTICAL USES
The different products produced from this tree offer a wide range of applications. The fruit is used to make highly nutritive snacks and juices, and fruit extracts are now being used in body-care products. Because of its high amount of vitamin C and mineral salts, cashew fruit is used as a catalyst in the treatment of premature aging of the skin and to remineralize the skin. It is also an effective scalp conditioner and tonic and is often used in shampoos, lotions, and scalp creams for the conditioning activity of its proteins and mucilage. Cashew leaf or bark tea is still widely used throughout the tropics as an effective diarrhea and colic remedy, considered gentle enough for children. Unfortunately, there are not many cashew products available in the U.S. market, besides of course, cashew nuts.

BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH

Cashewâ€™s antimicrobial properties were first documented in a 1982 in vitro study. In 1999, another study was published indicating it had good in vitro antibacterial activity against E. coli and Pseudomonas. Most recently, a 2001 study reported that a bark extract exhibited in vitro antimicrobial activity against 13 of 15 microorganisms tested. In 1999, researchers reported that cashew fruit exhibited antibacterial activity against the Gram-negative bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which is now considered to cause acute gastritis and stomach ulcers. Its effectiveness against leishmanial ulcers also was documented in two clinical studies. Finally, two studies (one in mice and the other in rats) in 1989 and 1998 document the protective quality of a leaf extract against lab-induced diabetes, although the extract did not act as hypoglycemic as some others, it did stabilize blood glucose levels near pretest levels.

PLANT CHEMICALS
In addition to being delicious, cashew fruit is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. It has up to five times more vitamin C than oranges and contains a high amount of mineral salts. Volatile compounds present in the fruit include esters, terpenes, and carboxylic acids. The bark and leaves of cashew are a rich source of tannins, a group of plant chemicals with documented biological activity. These tannins, in a 1985 rat study, demonstrated anti-inflammatory and astringent effects, which may be why cashew is effective in treating diarrhea. Anacardic acids are found in cashew, with their highest concentration is in the nutshells. Several clinical studies have shown that these chemicals curb the darkening effect of aging by inhibiting tyrosinase activity, and that they are toxic to certain cancer cells.

The main chemicals found in cashew are alanine, alpha-catechin, alpha-linolenic acid, anacardic acids, anacardol, antimony, arabinose, caprylic acid, cardanol, cardol, europium, folacin, gadoleic acid, gallic acid, gingkol, glucuronic acid, glutamic acid, hafnium, hexanal, histidine, hydroxybenzoic acid, isoleucine, kaempferols, L-epicatechin, lauric acid, leucine, leucocyanidin, leucopelargonidine, limonene, linoleic acid, methylglucuronic acid, myristic acid, naringenin, oleic acid, oxalic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, phenylalanine, phytosterols, proline, quercetin-glycoside, salicylic acid, samarium, scandium, serine, squalene, stearic acid, tannin, and trans-hex-2-enal tryptophan.

Medicinal Uses:

HERBAL PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS
Main Actions :kills bacteria,stops diarrhea,kills germs,dries secretions and increases urination.

Other Actions:reduces inflammation,Supress coughs,Increase libido,Aids digestion,Reduces fever and Lower body temperature.

Standard dose: Leaf,Bark. Decoction 1/2 cup 2 to 3 times daily.

The pseudo-fruit, a large pulpy and juicy part, has a fine sweet flavor and is commonly referred to as the â€œcashew fruitâ€ or the â€œcashew apple.â€ Fresh or frozen cashew fruit concentrate is as common a juice product in South American food stores as orange juice is in the United States. It is very perishable, however; therefore, no fresh cashew fruit is exported into the United States or Europe from South America.

The nut kernel inside is covered with an inner shell, and between the two shells is a thick, caustic, and toxic oil called cardol. Cashew nuts must be cleaned to remove the cardol and then roasted or boiled to remove the toxins before they can be eaten.

TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES
Native to the northeast coast of Brazil, cashew was domesticated long before the arrival of Europeans at the end of the fifteenth century. It was â€œdiscoveredâ€ by European traders and explorers and first recorded in 1578. It was taken Brazil to India and East Africa, where it soon became naturalized. In sixteenth-century Brazil, cashew fruits and their juice were taken by Europeans to treat fever, sweeten breath, and â€œconserve the stomach.â€

The cashew tree and its nuts and fruit have been used for centuries by the indigenous tribes of the rainforest, and it is a common cultivated plant in their gardens. The Tikuna tribe in northwest Amazonia considers the fruit juice medicinal against influenza, and they brew a tea of leaves and bark to treat diarrhea. The WayÃ£pi tribe in Guyana uses a bark tea as a diarrhea remedy and colic remedy for infants. Tribes in Suriname use the toxic seed oil as an external worm medicine to kill botfly larvae under the skin. In Brazil, a bark tea is used as a douche for vaginal discharge and as an astringent to stop bleeding after a tooth extraction. A wine made from the fruit is used for dysentery in other parts of the Amazon rainforest. The fruit juice and a bark tea are very common diarrhea remedies throughout the Amazon today, used by curanderos and local people alike.

In Peruvian herbal medicine today, cashew leaf tea (called casho) is employed as a common diarrhea remedy; a bark tea is used as an antiseptic vaginal douche; and the seeds are used for skin infections. In Brazilian herbal medicine, the fruit is taken for syphilis and as a diuretic, stimulant, and aphrodisiac. A leaf tea is prepared as a mouthwash and gargle for mouth ulcers, tonsillitis, and throat problems and is used for washing wounds. An infusion and/or maceration of the bark is used to treat diabetes, weakness, muscular debility, urinary disorders, and asthma. The leaves and/or the bark is also used in Brazil for eczema, psoriasis, scrofula, dyspepsia, genital problems, and venereal diseases, as well as for impotence, bronchitis, cough, intestinal colic, leishmaniasis, and syphilis-related skin disorders. North American practitioners use cashew for diabetes, coughs, bronchitis, tonsillitis, intestinal colic, and diarrhea, and as a general tonic.

Click to learn more about:-> Cashew plant

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashew
http://www.rain-tree.com/cajueiro.htm

No Comments

No comments yet.

Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI

Leave a comment