Adverse Effect of Cashew Nuts Studied on Ants as Biological Models

Independent researcher, retired from the Biology of Organisms Department, University of Brussels, Belgium

*Corresponding author: Marie-Claire Cammaerts, Independent researcher, retired from the Biology of Organisms Department, University of Brussels, 27, Square du Castel Fleuri, 1170, Bruxelles, Belgium, Tel : +32-322-673-4969, E-mail: [email protected].

Received Date: February 27, 2024

Published Date: March 26, 2024

Citation: Cammaerts M. (2024). Adverse Effect of Cashew Nuts Studied on Ants as Biological Models. Mathews J Nutr Diet. 7(2):36.

Copyrights: Cammaerts M. © (2024).

ABSTRACT

Cashew nuts have several medicinal beneficial properties and contain many elements beneficial for our health. However, they produce kinds of substance, the urushiol, which can cause severe dermatitis by contact or by ingestion. In the present work, we studied ethological and physiological effects of these nuts, using ants as biological models. Effectively, these nuts are good for the health though they induce stress, excitation, and nervousness. Moreover, we also discovered a novel not yet revealed effect of these nuts which must imperatively be known by consumers. After weaning, the effects of cashew nut rapidly decreased with two quick decreases, one from 0 to 3 hours and anther one from 18 to about 20 hours. These two decreases can be perceived by consumers who are then tempted to ingest again cashew nuts. Such a behavior constitutes a dependence which leads to more and more nuts ingested, what could accentuate the probability of suffering from dermatitis. The solution is limiting the amount of ingested cashew nuts and consumed them together with other kind of nuts or similar fruits not containing urushiol.

Keywords: Addiction, Ant, Dependence, Nervousness, Stress, Urushiol.