Cashew nut (Kaju-badam)

It is an edible seed or nut of Anacardium occidentale family, a tropical and sub-tropical evergreen shrub or tree up to 12 metres (40 ft.) growing where the soil is fertile and the humidity high. The tree is chiefly important for the nuts it produces but it also produces wood for making shipping crates, boats, charcoal etc. and a gum similar to gum arabic.

The nut shaped like a large thick bean is sometimes more than 2.5 centimetres (one inch) long and forms in an unusual way. It appears as though one of its ends had been forcibly sunk into the calyx end of a fleshy, pear-shaped fruit called the cashew apple which is about 3 times as large as the nut and reddish or yellow. The cashew apple is used locally in beverages, jams and jellies. The nut has two walls or shells. The fruits are picked by hand and the nuts are first detached then sun-dried.

The fruit is prescribed in scurvy and diarrhoea. Its juice is a powerful diuretic and is used in uterine complaints and dropsy. It is a useful local application in neuralgic and rheumatic pains. The nut is specially useful in acute cases of impotency as it increases sexual vigour considerably. The oil extracted from the shell of the nut is applied to warts, corns, psoriasis and ringworm.

Benefit and uses of Cashew nut.

• Cashews have a very high oil content, and they are used in some other nut butters to add extra oil.
• The cashews bark, leaves, gum and shell are all used in medicinal applications.
• Effortless way to lose weight, the diet also boosts your energy levels and can improve your health.
• Nuts can lower your risk of heart disease by as much as 35%.
• Nuts eaten in moderation, they are a useful addition to healthy diet.