NATURE’S HEALTH PILL
For most developing countries like Ghana, the Cashew nut is a cash crop, mostly produced on a large scale. It may not have gained recognition, attention and aid like cocoa, coffee or shea nut but it is a very important crop.
It’s botanical name is Anacardium occidentale, the cashew is a close relative of mangos, pistachios, poison ivy and poison oak. It was first introduced on a worldwide scale by Portuguese explorers in South America in the 16th century, but international trade didn't take off until the 1920s.
It is sometimes called “nature's vitamin pill,” cashew nuts, which now rank number 1 among nut crops in the world with 4.1 billion pounds produced in 2002 , have been used to promote wellness for centuries.
The Plant/ Crop:
The tree is small and evergreen, growing to 10-12m (32 ft) 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.
The largest cashew tree in the world covers an area of about 7,500 square metres (81,000 sq ft).
The fruit of the cashew tree is an accessory fruit (sometimes called a pseudocarp or false fruit). What appears to be the fruit is an oval or pear-shaped structure that develops from the pedicel and the receptacle of the cashew flower. The fruit is often called the cashew apple, it ripens into a yellow and/or red structure about 5–11 cm long. It is edible, and has a strong "sweet" smell and a sweet taste.
The pulp of the cashew apple is very juicy, but the skin is fragile, making it unsuitable for transport.
The true fruit of the cashew tree is a kidney or boxing-glove shaped drupe that grows at the end of the cashew apple. The drupe develops first on the tree, and then the pedicel expands into the cashew apple. Within the true fruit is a single seed, the cashew nut.
Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense the nut of the cashew is a seed.
The seed is surrounded by a double shell containing an allergenic phenolic resin, anacardic acid, a potent skin irritant chemically related to the more well 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 urushiols may also react to mango or pistachio which are also in the Anacardiaceae family. Some people are allergic to cashew nuts, but cashews are a less frequent allergen than nuts or peanuts.
Benefits:
The cashew tree is an air purifier. It does so by reducing the carbon concentration in the atmosphere. It contains two per cent vegetable protein, which is comparable to soya beans, groundnuts, beef and chicken. The kennels have an even higher percentage of unsaturated fatty acids while its apple is also rich in Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron.
USES:
Medicine and industry:
Many parts of the plant are used medicinally and industrially.
cashew fruit 
cashew tree
The cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL), a byproduct of processing cashew, is mostly composed of anacardic acids. These acids have been used effectively against tooth abscesses due to their lethality to a wide range of Gram-positive bacteria.
The anacardic acid is also used in the chemical industry for the production of cardanol, which is used for resins, coatings, and frictional materials.
The bark is scraped and soaked overnight or boiled as an antidiarrheal; it also yields a gum used in varnish.
The seeds are ground into powders used for antivenom for snake bites.
The nut oil is used topically as an antifungal and for healing cracked heels.
The cashew tree's leaves and bark as well as the popular cashew apple possess herbal health benefits that include killing bacteria and germs, stopping diarrhoea, drying secretions, increasing the libido, and reducing fever, blood sugar, blood pressure and body temperature.
The cashew fruit packs 5 grams of protein per ounce and high levels of the essential minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese, which are utilized in holistic health solutions and healthy diets.
Culinary:
Roasted and salted Cashew nuts
The cashew nut is a popular snack, and its rich flavor means that it is often eaten on its own, lightly salted or sugared, or covered in chocolate.
The nut/ seed can be used whole for garnishing sweets or curries, or ground into a paste that forms a base of sauces for curries, or some sweets. It is also used in powdered form in the preparation of several sweets and desserts especially in India. The cashew apple is eaten raw or used in curries.
The cashew nut, a popular treat found on grocery and health food store shelves across the world, is jam-packed with nutritional content. It packs 5 grams of protein per ounce and high levels of the essential minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese, which are utilized in holistic health solutions and healthy diets.
While cashews have a high amount of the stabilizing oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, they should always be stored in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.
Alcohol:
The juice from the cashew apple (the accessory fruit) is usedin the preparation of an alcoholic beverage. The fruit is mashed, the juice is extracted and kept for fermentation for 2–3 days. Fermented juice then undergoes a double distillation process.
According to “An Account of the Island of Ceylon”, written by Robert Percival an alcohol had been distilled in the early twentieth century from the juice of the fruit, and had been manufactured in the West Indies. Apparently the Dutch considered it superior to brandy as a "liqueur."
Diet and Weight Management:
Cashew nuts do have a relatively high fat content (12 grams per ounce, 2 grams saturated fat), considered to be “good fat.” This is due to the agreeable fat ratio in the nut, 1:2:1 for saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated, respectively, which scientists say is the ideal ratio for optimal health.
Cashew nuts also have a fatty acid profile that contributes to good health through phytosterols, tocopherols, and squalene, all of which lower the risk of heart disease, combined with the nut's zero percent cholesterol content.
Even with the relatively high fat content, cashew nuts are considered to be a “low-fat” nut. In fact, cashew nuts contain less fat per serving than many other popular nuts commonly found in grocery stores and health food stores, including almonds, walnuts, peanuts and pecans.
Cashew nuts have a high energy density and high amount of dietary fiber, both which have been attributed to a beneficial effect on weight management, but only when eaten in moderation.
Cardiovascular and Circulatory Health:
Cashew nuts are beneficial for our health as they contain Heart-Protective Mono-unsaturated Fats, Copper, and Magnesium. A quarter-cup of cashew nuts supplies:
Ø 37.4% of the daily recommended value of mono-unsaturated fat
Ø 38.0% of the daily recommended value for copper
Ø 22.3% of the daily recommended value for magnesium
With no cholesterol, a rarity for such a tasty and pleasing treat, cashew nuts are a healthy fat food for heart patients; and because of their high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, they also help support healthy levels of low good (HDL) cholesterol.
Cashew Nuts contain Heart-Protective Monounsaturated Fats, this is because: the nuts have a lower fat content than most other nuts, contain primarily unsaturated fatty acids, 75% of which is oleic acid, the same heart-healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil; the Oleic acid found in cashew nuts promotes good cardiovascular health, and the Monounsaturated fats produced reduce high triglyceride levels which are associated with increased risk for heart disease.
- Magnesium
Cashews are a great source of magnesium. The cashew nut's high magnesium content also takes the credit for its healthy heart qualities. In their raw form, cashews contain 82.5 milligrams of magnesium per ounce, or 21 percent of the daily recommended value of the heart healthy mineral, which also protects against high blood pressure, muscle spasms, migraine headaches, tension, soreness and fatigue. Adequate levels of Magnesium in the body: Ensures healthy bones, Prevents heart attacks, Promotes normal sleep patterns menopausal women and Reduces the severity of asthma.
Magnesium also works with calcium to support healthy muscles and bones in the human body.
- Antioxidants
With a high copper content, too, cashew nut consumption helps the body utilize iron, eliminate free radicals, develop bone and connective tissue, and produce the skin and hair pigment melanin.
Copper, which is an essential component of the enzyme superoxide dismutase , is vital in energy production and antioxidant defense, producing greater flexibility in blood vessels, bones and joints.
Copper also plays a role in a wide range of physiological processes including : Iron utilization, Elimination of free radicals, Development of bone and connective tissue, Production of the skin and hair pigment called melanin, Energy production and Antioxidant defenses.
Diabetes:
Recent clinical trials have shown that cashews and other nuts work with a person's lipid profile to have a beneficial effect on those with diabetes or at risk for diabetes.
And with 37.7% of the daily recommended value of monounsaturated fats, cashews can reduce triglyceride levels in diabetics, protecting them from further complications.
Integrating frequent nut consumption into your diet, especially raw cashews, may lower the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
Gallstones:
All nuts, including the cashew nut, have been associated with a reduced risk of gallstone disease.
According to the Nurses' Health Study, looking at the dietary data of 80,718 women, integrating at least one ounce of nuts a week, such as cashews, gives women a 25 percent lower risk of developing gallstones.
Dental Health:
Research has also shown that chemicals in cashew nuts kill gram positive bacteria, a pervasive mouth affliction that causes tooth decay, acne, tuberculosis and leprosy.
Topical Uses:
While the cashew nut is most enjoyed when eaten raw, it also possesses astringent qualities that are now used in topical creams and gels.
A Philippine scientist who has made a career out of studying the health benefits of cashew nut extract markets the extract in a cream for warts, moles and other skin growths.
The Philippine-produced cream is also reportedly effective on basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer, though this too is not yet available in the U.S.
Over Consumption of Cashew Nuts:
can cause unwanted weight gain in individuals, because of their high fat content.
The oxalates in cashews can also become concentrated in body fluids, crystallizing and causing health problems in people with preexisting kidney or gallbladder problems.
With cashew nuts, moderation is key in reaping the health and flavor benefits of nature's treat.
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