A recent study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research has found that cashew seed extracts may be an effective way to combat diabetes. The findings were part of a broader study that sought to determine if cashew tree products were of any benefit of people suffering from diabetes and whether the extracts would have any effect on the physiological response to insulin.

Diabetes is a disease that affects an estimated 220 million people worldwide. It results in a person having high blood sugar because they are no longer able to produce insulin or because their bodies do not respond to it. Diabetes can lead to serious problems which include heart disease and kidney failure.

The goal of the current study was to examine the various extracts from cashew trees, including the bark, leaves, seeds and fruit, in an effort to see if any of them might have an effect on the cellular response to insulin.

What they found was the of all the extracts tested, only cashew seeds was able to affect the absorption of sugar by the muscle cells. The results suggest that cashew seed extract may contain compounds that might aid in the treatment of diabetes.

Products derived from cashew trees have long been use in traditional medicine as a way to treat inflammation, high blood sugar, and diabetes. The goal of the current study was to find potential new oral treatments.

The cashews that we eat are actually the seed of the tree. These are found at the bottom of the tree fruit, the cashew apple. While cashews are popular as snacks in this country, they are considered a delicacy in Brazil and the Caribbean.

From a health perspective, cashews are considered a healthy nut. They are generally lower in fat than other nuts, and the fat they do have is predominantly unsaturated. Furthermore, most of the unsaturated fat is in the form of oleic acid, which is the same healthy fat found in olive oil.

Oleic acid is believed to help maintain good cardiovascular health and reduce triglyceride levels in the blood, which are associated with an increased risk for heart disease. Cashews, as are most nuts, are also high in antioxidants, and are considered good sources of certain important minerals, including magnesium, which helps to promote bone strength.

As with all diets, before you engage in the massive consumption of cashews, speak with your doctor or a nutritional expert first. For more information about cashews, visit the website for the World's Healthiest Foods. For more information about diabetes, visit the websites for the American Diabetes Association and the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).