[Kala]

Cashew: Antidote to tooth ache, thrush, diarrhoea
By Sade Oguntola

Cashew fruits
TO many cashew fruits are just meant to be eaten and the seed thrown away. However the whole plant has many medicinal uses ranging from malaria, toothache, mouth thrush and sore gum treatment. Diabetes is not excluded either in it’s folkloric use.

Many of these uses however have scientific basis. Animal studies confirmed it has some constituents in it that makes it very useful in treatment of these health problems.

For instance, laboratory evaluation of the water and alcohol extracts of the bark of cashew tree on diabetic rats by Dr. Ojewole, found that 800mg per kg of the plant produced the maximum blood sugar lowering effect in these rats.

In fact, the blood lowering effect achieved with alcohol extracts was higher than that with water and as a result , Dr. Ojewole, attributed this probably to its terpenoid and coumarin contents working on the pancreas to produce insulin. The mechanism for this, however remains largely speculative.

Even in those yet to develop diabetes, the water extracts also protects them from developing this disease according to a Cameroonian team of researchers based at the University of Yaoundé.

Severe diarrhoea, especially in children is a very common disease with worldwide distribution and with a significant public health impact. Rotaviruses have been recognised as the major agent. To fight diarrhoea, traditional Brazilian medicine uses a great variety of plants, including cashew leaf. This was confirmed by laboratory tests of the plant in a journal, Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

Fresh and processed cashew apple juice is among the most popular drinks in Brazil. Besides their nutritional benefits, these juices have potentials to work against diseases caused by bacteria and also against cancer. The chemical constituents of both the fresh juice and the processed juice showed it is highly rich in Vitamin C, various carotenoids, phenolic compounds and metals, so explaining its ability to scavenge for free radicals and cancer causing substances in the body as indicated by Brazilian researchers in the journal, Environmental molecular mutagenesis.

Dr. C. Weber writing in the journal, Medical Hypotheses also confirmed that cashew nuts can help eliminate infections in teeth. No doubt, this should be expected. The alcoholic extract was found to prevent the growth of over 15 micro organisms by Dr. D. A. Akinpelu of the Department of Microbiology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Osun state.

A similar conclusion was reached by Dr. E. Egwim from Federal Polytechnic, Niger State when he tried to find out the effect of alcoholic extract of cashew roots and its unripe fruits on guinea pigs and rats. The adult guinea pigs and albino rats were given doses of the extracts ranging from 2mg to 100g body weight and thereafter there blood tested for sugar.

Though both helped to reduce the sugar blood levels in the animals, but cashew roots were better off in terms of potency on blood sugar level. It also had an added advantage of helping to reduce the cholesterol level in the blood.

Similarly, cashew apple has been found very useful against Helicobacter pylori, which is considered the major cause of ulcer based on the report by Kubo J. Lee J.R. And Kobo T. In the Journal of Agricultural and food Chemistry.

Because of its high amount of vitamin C and mineral salts, cashew fruit is used as a catalyst in the treatment of premature ageing of the skin and to remineralise the skin. For ladies, it can serve as an effective scalp conditioner and tonic or added to shampoos, lotions and scalp creams for the conditioning activity of its protein and mucilage.

Ayurvedic medicine recommends the fruit to deworm, boost libido, treat dysentery and pile, as well as boost appetite.In vory Coast, the bark and leaves are used for sore gums and sore throat.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/23012007/hlt2.html