[Hadrian (OP)]

Cashew nuts are a brilliant source of mono un-saturated fats. They are also a good resource for several minerals, including copper, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc. Also, cashew nuts are a first-class source of biotin and protein. A third of a cup of shelled cashews provides 261 calories, 21.4 grams of protein, and 15.3 grams of carbohydrate.

Cashews have excellent nutritional value. Cashew nuts are lower in fat and a higher protein and carbohydrate than most other nuts. The fat that they do contain is by and large (60 to 65 per¬cent) derived from oleic acid, which is a mono unsaturated oil with known benefits in protecting against heart disease and cancer. Although cashew nuts are lower in vitamin E and calcium than most nuts, they are a good source of pro¬tein, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc.

(Activity4Life Forum 2007)

[iko]

Cashew nuts are a brilliant source of mono un-saturated fats. They are also a good resource for several minerals, including copper, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc. Also, cashew nuts are a first-class source of biotin and protein. A third of a cup of shelled cashews provides 261 calories, 21.4 grams of protein, and 15.3 grams of carbohydrate.

Cashews have excellent nutritional value. Cashew nuts are lower in fat and a higher protein and carbohydrate than most other nuts. The fat that they do contain is by and large (60 to 65 per¬cent) derived from oleic acid, which is a mono unsaturated oil with known benefits in protecting against heart disease and cancer. Although cashew nuts are lower in vitamin E and calcium than most nuts, they are a good source of pro¬tein, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc.

(Activity4Life Forum 2007)

http://www.dcwhawaii.com/samurai/cashews.jpg

As with other 'natural' products, safety and proper
quality controls should be our major concern...

Mycoflora and mycotoxins of Brazilian cashew kernels.

Freire FC, Kozakiewicz Z, Paterson RR.
Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Agroindustria Tropical, (EMBRAPA/CNPAT), Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. freire@cnpat.embrapa.br

Kernel samples of common and dwarf Brazilian cashew nuts were highly contaminated with field and storage fungi in comparison to healthy ones. In general, dwarf cashews were more contaminated than common. A total of 37 fungal species were identified.
Aspergillus niger was the dominant species with more colonies being isolated from dwarf kernels. A. flavus was the next most frequently isolated species. Penicillium brevicompactum, and P. glabrum were the most frequently isolated penicillia, with higher contamination recorded from dwarf kernels. Chaetomium globosum was recorded at a high level. Nine species were recorded from cashew kernels for the first time. Multimycotoxin analysis by tlc and hplc were positive for mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites particularly from the infected samples. Hplc was only carried out on dwarf cashews. Aflatoxins were not detected by quantitative high performance thin layer chromatography.

Mycopathologia. 1999;145(2):95-103.

Spoilage fungi and their mycotoxins in commercially marketed chestnuts.

Overy DP, Seifert KA, Savard ME, Frisvad JC.
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Branch, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C6. david.overy@biocentrum.dtu.dk

A nationwide survey was carried out to assess mould spoilage of Castanea sativa nuts sold in Canadian grocery stores in 1998-99. Morphological and cultural characters, along with secondary metabolite profiles derived from thin-layer chromatography, were used to sort and identify fungi cultured from nut tissue. Three mycotoxigenic fungi dominated (Penicillium crustosum, Penicillium glabrum/spinulosum and Penicillium discolor) and were isolated at frequencies of 67.1%, 18.6% and 17.7%, respectively, from a total sample size of 350 nuts. Another mycotoxin producer, Aspergillus ochraceus was also isolated, but at a much lower frequency. HPLC and diode array detection were used to confirm the suspected presence of the mycotoxins penitrem A, chaetoglobosin A and C, emodin and ochratoxin A in extracts prepared from naturally infected nut tissue. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time emodin has been found in a naturally contaminated food source.

Int J Food Microbiol. 2003 Nov 15;88(1):69-77.

[Seany]

Hey Enrico!

Have you moved on from Cod Liver Oil and now Cashew Nuts? []

[Bored chemist]

A diet of cod liver oil and cashews would lead to scurvey.
Does anyone know if I am right in my recollection that raw Cashews (or their shells) are toxic?

It would be interesting to establish the source of the emodin refered to in that article. It's well documerted as being found in rhubarb but I didn't know fungi made it.

[neilep]

I luff cashew nuts...honey roasted !!..they are my favourite nut !!

Me likes them also with  stir fried chicken in yellow bean sauce ..hmmm....but now..after reading what Iko  and BC wrote..I'm not so sure..

do we eat the nut or not eat the nut ?

[iko]

A diet of cod liver oil and cashews would lead to scurvey.
Does anyone know if I am right in my recollection that raw Cashews (or their shells) are toxic?

Scurvy, scorbuto in italian, develops after 6-10 weeks of a diet without ascorbic acid (Vitamin C): without fresh fruit or veggies.   It is not due to some particular stuff that has been eaten, but to specific foods that had NOT been eaten.  It is a deficiency disease.

I luff cashew nuts...honey roasted !!..they are my favourite nut !!
Me likes them also with  stir fried chicken in yellow bean sauce ..hmmm....but now..after reading what Iko  and BC wrote..I'm not so sure..

do we eat the nut or not eat the nut ?

Of course we can eat the nut and it's good for the lot of us!
I just wanted to remind that when we give only positive values
to 'natural' food and negative values to preservatives of any
sort, we forget the reason why certain chemicals were added:
to avoid heavy contamination by highly toxic molds.
Enjoy your nuts anyway!

ikod
 

[neilep]

THANK YOU IKO,

I will continue to enjoy my nuts !!  []

[Carolyn]

Oh brother! []

[Karen W.]

I luff cashew nuts...honey roasted !!..they are my favourite nut !!

Me likes them also with  stir fried chicken in yellow bean sauce ..hmmm....but now..after reading what Iko  and BC wrote..I'm not so sure..

do we eat the nut or not eat the nut ?

They are also my favorite,, honey roasted but garlic onion also!!! YUMMMMM!!

[harry_thomas]

Cashew nuts have the ability to ward off several diseases which attack the body regularly. There are many benefits of eating cashews as it helps in controlling weight, strengthen muscle, etc. So eating cashews will benefit you in a number of ways.

[evan_au]

My greatest surprise about cashew nuts is that there is also a fruit: the cashew apple.

The nut grows outside the apple.

This came up when a Brazilian friend offered us cashew juice (which is apparently popular in Brazil).
- My reaction was: How do you get juice out of a cashew nut?
- The answer is: You don't. You juice the "left over" cashew apple.
See pictures: http://mentalfloss.com/article/31226/cashew-nuts-grow-out-crazy-apples

[Bored chemist]

Cashew nuts have the ability to ward off several diseases which attack the body regularly.

This is only true in the sense that cashew nut trees don't get colds.
They are able to ward off the disease, even though it commonly attacks people.

What they don't do is help people ward off illnesses.
(Except, of course that a varied diet is helpful to heath in general)

[Emilelix]

I like to make my own cashew milk, by grinding up the nuts and letting them sit in a bowl of water for some time. I then remove the mush from the solution, and drink the remaining milk.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what the protein content of such a solution may be? Will I lose out on protein and other nutrients by throwing away the mush?

Thanks for reading

[Elena li]

Why are cashews so popular that they have never been sold in shells? It's actually very simple, cashew nut shells are poisonous. This sumac plant has its own "self-defense" weapon-cashew nut shell liquid. Cashew nut shell liquid contains some chemical substances represented by cardanol, which can erode human skin. This is also a feature shared by the Anacardiaceae plants where cashew nuts are located.

Before the application of a mechanical cashew processing machine, shelling cashew nuts is an arduous task. First, the cashew nuts must be dried and then roasted on the fire until most of the toxic cashew nut shell liquid is dispersed and the shell bursts. Remove the nuts. Of course, even with the protection of gloves, shelling workers are often poisoned by cashew nutshells. The cashew nut kernels in commercial production also usually use professional equipment to peel cashew nuts.