Native to the northeast coast of Brazil, Cajueiro was domesticated long before the arrival of Europeans at the end of the fifteenth century. It was "discovered" by Europeans and first recorded in 1578, and from there taken to India, then to East Africa where it soon became naturalized in those countries. In sixteenth century Brazil, cashew fruits and their juice were taken by Europeans to treat fever, to sweeten breath, and to "conserve the stomach." The cashew tree, its nuts and fruit have been used for centuries by the Indigenous Tribes of the rainforest, being a common cultivated plant in their gardens. The Tikuna tribe in northwest Amazonia considers the fruit juice to be medicinal against influenza and brew a tea of leaves and bark for diarrhea. The Wayãpi Tribe in Guyana use a bark tea for a diarrhea and/or colic remedy for infants. Tribes in Suriname use the toxic seed oil as worm medicine to kill bot-fly larvae under the skin In Brazil, a bark tea is used as a douche for vaginal secretions or as an astringent to stop bleeding after a tooth extraction.> Dr. James Duke reports that the green fruits are used to treat hemoptysis, the seed oil and fruit juice is used for warts, a leaf infusion is used for diarrhea, expectorants are made from the tender shoots, and wine made from the fruit is used as an antidysenteric in other parts of the Amazon rainforest. The fruit juice and bark tea are a very common diarrhea remedy throughout the Amazon today, used by Curanderos and local people alike.

In Peruvian herbal medicine today, Cajueiro leaf tea (called Casho) is employed as a common diarrhea remedy, a bark tea used as a antiseptic vaginal douche, and the seeds are used for skin infections. In Brazilian herbal medicine the fruit is taken for syphilis, as a diuretic, stimulant, and aphrodisiac, a leaf tea for a mouthwash and gargle for mouth ulcers, tonsilitis and throat problems, and for washing wounds, an infusion and/or maceration of the bark is used to treat diabetes, asthenia, muscular debility, urinary disorders, and asthma. The leaves and/or the bark are also used in Brazil for eczema, psoriasis, scrofula, dyspepsia, genital problems and venereal diseases, impotency, bronchitis, cough, intestinal colic, leishmaniasis, and syphilitic-related skin disorders. North American practitioners use Cajueiro for diabetes, cough and bronchitis, tonsilitis, intestinal colic, diarrhea, and as a general tonic. The uses of Cajueiro and its many products cover a wide range of uses, even it's "fruit." In addition to being delicious, it is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients. It has up to five times more vitamin C than oranges and a high amount of mineral salts. Besides making highly nutritive snacks and juices, Cashew fruit extracts are now being used in body care products. Because of its high amount of vitamin C and mineral salts, Cashew fruit is used as coadjutant in the treatment of premature aging of the skin and to remineralize the skin. It is also a good scalp conditioner and tonic, often used in shampoos, lotions and scalp creams due to the conditioning activity of its proteins and mucilage.

The bark and leaves of Cajueiro are a rich source of tannins, a group of phytochemicals with physiological activities. These tannins have demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect and are astringent in nature which may be one of the reasons Cajueiro is effective in cases of diarrhea. Another group of phytochemicals named anacardic acids are found in Cashew with the highest concentration found in the nut shells. Several clinical studies has shown that these chemicals exhibit tyrosinase inhibitory activity, have molluscacide properties, and are cytotoxic to certain cancer cells. It's antimicrobial properties were documented in a 1982 clinical study and its effectiveness against leishmanial ulcers was documented in two clinical studies.

2. "CASHEW PLANT Anacardium occidentale: Cashew plant has been used in combinations which help diabetes and support the pancreas. It can also help the body to assimilate and retain electrolytes and minerals."

10. "Anacardium Occidentale L. Anacardiaceae. "Cacho", "Cashu", "Maranon", "Cashew". Cultivated. Roasted seeds are edible, but oil from the fruit (cardol) is a strong vesicant. The swollen peduncles of the fruit are edible fresh, in drinks or ices. Juice from green fruits used to treat hemoptysis. The leaf infusion is used to treat diarrhea. Oil used for warts; good for teeth. Wine obtained from fruit is a good antidysenteric. Seeds used as worm medicine to kill bot-fly larvae (MJP). A gum like gum-arabic is extracted from sap; fruit juice used as a permanent marker for clothing (SOU). Bark decoction used to treat diarrhea (RVM). Important products are: the cashew nuts, and the cashew nut shell liquid, also called cardol. Containing phenol it is an important raw material for the plastic and resin industry (RVM). From the tender shoots they make expectorants (RVM). Fruit juice used for warts. The "Wayapi" use the bark as a remedy for infants (GMJ). "Tikunas" use the "apple" juice for flu. (Fruit juice contains three antitumor compounds JAFC 41:1012. 1993.) Bark decoction, taken each month during the menses, is said to be contraceptive (SAR). Brazilians use it as a douche for vaginal secretions (BDS), or as an astringent to stop bleeding after tooth extraction."

11. "Three herbs from the Amazon act as aphrodisiacs and have traditionally been used for impotence: Marapuama, Catuaba and Cajueiro. Cajueiro has aphrodisiac properties and is a general tonic for the body. Tonics increase vitality by strengthening and rejuvenating either a specific organ, a system, or the whole body. The value of tonic herbs lies in their normalizing and nurturing effect on the body."

19. "Anacardium occidentale.
PFS0: Primary food source: fruit/seed edible
SFS04: Secondary food source: used for ceremonial beverage
Traditionally cultivated treelet of dooryard garden and old swidden"

21. "ANACARDIACEAE
Cashew Family, Sumac Family
This is a family of 60 genera and nearly 600 species of trees or shrubs, rarely climbers, usually with resinous bark. They are distributed primarily in the tropics of both hemispheres, but some species range into the temperate zones. It is the family of the mango, cashew nut, poison ivy and other economically important plants. The family is best known for its phenols and phenolic acids causing serious skin irritation - anacardol, anacardic acid and relatives. Terpenes, triterpenes, polyphenols and tannins are also common. Anacardic acid has been reported to have anthelminitic activity (Chattopadhya, 1969). A review of the toxins has been published (Baer, 1977).
Anacardium
The 15 species of Anacardium are found in the New World tropics; they are small to very tall trees. The centre of speciation is Brazil. The most noteworthy economic species is the cashew nut, A. occidentale: the fruit and swollen receptacle are both edible-the fruit yields the cashew nut, the peduncle is fleshy, yellow or red, and is pleasantly acidic. The bark is resinous in some species and has a gum resembling gum arabic and is valuable for making varnish.
Anacardium occidentale Linnaeus, Sp. PI. (1753) 383. co-a (Tikuna); maranon (Col.)
G 61; S 3920, 8176; SRS 24037
The juice squeezed from the peduncle is considered medicinal against influenza by the Tikunas. A tea of leaves and bark is ingested in treating diarrhea. Taken each month during menstruation, a bark decoction is held to be contraceptive. The chemical principles responsible for the irritating properties of the oil of cashew shell are primarily cardol and anacardic acid. The fresh leaves of SRS 24037 are alkaloid-positive.
REFERENCES
Baer, H. Toxic Plants (Symp.) (1977) 161, (Publ 1979).
Chattopadhya, M.K. and R.L. Khare, Ind. J. Pharm. 31 (1969) 104."