Cashew Compound May Help Ward Off Diabetes

In that compounds from the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) confer anti-inflammatory properties and thus have been used in traditional medicine for a variety of disorders, Pierre S. Haddad, from University of Montreal (Quebec, Canada), and colleagues studied whether cashew extracts could improve the body's response to its own insulin.  Examining the impact of leaves, bark, seeds and apples from cashew trees, native to northeastern Brazil and other countries of the southern hemisphere, the team found that only cashew seed extract significantly stimulated blood sugar absorption by muscle cells, with extracts of other plant parts having no such effect.   The team concludes that: “These results collectively suggest that [cashew seed extract] may be a potential anti-diabetic nutraceutical.”