Cashews
(21 posts) (15 voices)-
Sir Grandma
MemberHow do people here feel about cashews. I watched a tv show once about cashews and was surprised at the workers in the factory wearing haz-mat suits and thick rubber gloves. It turns out that the cashew seed (not technically a nut) has a coating that contains poison-ivy like toxin and works have to be careful to avoid contact. Then the cashews have to be steamed to get rid of the rest of the toxin.
http://www.wisegeek.com/are-raw-cashews-really-poisonous.htm (not a great reference I know)
I particularly like the part about making epoxy from the cashew shell oil.
nutritionally http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3172/2 they are a little high in carbs but the fat profile is pretty good.
So should we avoid them?
Posted 6 months ago # -
kuno1chi
MemberGrandma,
Mangoes are in the same family, so if you're sensitive to Poison Ivy, you'd want to avoid the cashew FRUIT (the covering on a cashew before it's processed) and also use plastic gloves to peel a mango.
I love them both.
No worse than chopping up Habenero peppers. I use gloves for that. Now
:-(Posted 6 months ago # -
Sir Grandma
MemberI am actually not sensitive to poison ivy, but it occurs to me that we avoid a lot of things because they require processing to make them edible. Cashew would not have been eaten by grok if they made him sick. We avoid peanuts because they are legumes, most reactions to raw legumes seem tame compared to cashews.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I didn't know cashews, mangoes and poison ivy were relatives. I'm not sensitive to poison ivy, thank goodness and I LOVE cashews and mangoes. :)
I guess those are things that fall into my "treat" category anyways.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Hello Kitty
MemberI love them. Too much in fact. The couple of times I've [very briefly] gone off the wagon, the cashews were the trigger. The delicious little perps are a gateway to chocolate cravings, so I try to stay away from them. It's easier to avoid them entirely than to attempt to eat only a few.
About their toxicity level I don't know, but for me personally, they are "toxic" in their own way. No cashews = no excessive chocolate consumption = happy day. Other nuts don't have this effect, but then I have to worry about junking out on nuts, esp. almonds.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Tarlach
MemberI don't eat cashews for the reasons highlighted in the first post (and I am a crazy paleo purist).
However, there is little evidence that they are harmful. I consider them pretty borderline and I personally wouldn't freak out about eating them.
I'm pretty sure Mark would accept them as primal.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Wendy1
MemberDo most people who do eat cashews buy them raw? I wanted to get some that weren't, but every ingredient list contained a mixture of oils including peanut and canola oil, so I didn't get any... I guess I can look around online. Any Seattle area shoppers have a good store I should check? I haven't been to Marlene's in Federal Way yet, so I guess that's a place to check.
Posted 6 months ago # -
hannahc
MemberActually I think they aren't recommended with PB, I've been avoiding them (though I don't come across them often so it's not a big deal). I'd have to look up the page, but I think Mark treats them like peanuts: don't eat them because of the reasons you posted up top.
My husband got into poison ivy, and then slept on the couch for like, 3 days because he was worried about spreading it to me! It never did affect me though, which is weird because I'm allergic to so many other things. It's interesting that a lot of people aren't allergic to it!
Posted 6 months ago # -
cc40
MemberI'm eating less cashews because I can't seem to find any that don't have cottonseed oil. Oh well, walnuts and almonds it is.
As a person that is VERY allergic to Poison Ivy (I look at the stuff and I get it), I can also back up the Mango allergy data. Growing up, there was a mango tree in our yard. My cousin and I got into a "mango fight" .... once. What else are going to do with rotten fruit on the ground as kids? That's right, toss it at your relatives! Anyway, that's all it took; I was covered in blisters and had to get medical treatment. However, I still love mangos! Peel them under cold running water and that usually does the trick. The tree sap, bark,and the leaves can get ya too.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I buy them raw (well, not roasted) and enjoy them -- but in limited quantites for the reasons cited above. In trail mixes and such, I use half as many cashews as I do other nuts like almonds and walnuts. A compromise, I know, but they don't seem to bother me.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Wendy, Marlene's does have the raw cashews in bulk.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Had a similar experience as cc40 (several times before I figured out the culprit). Lived in Hawaii for a year with a mango tree in our backyard- could never figure out why I was always getting these rashes. It gets progressively worse every time too. Last time I touched a mango was 4 years ago- neglected to wash my hands, went for a run and my hands were all over my face wiping off sweat, broke out in poison ivy blisters all over my face, my eyes swelled shut, it was in my ears. Horrible! Had to get a cortisone shot. I have not touched mango since. Cashews I can eat but they make my throat itchy so I'm assuming some kind of allergy with that as well.
Posted 6 months ago #
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