Cashew Nuts and Gut Problems

[Physiotherapist]

Ok, so this is not an allergy and I like eating cashew nuts, but they don't seem to like me.

Sometimes I like to eat cashew nuts, but when I do, perhaps 24 to 48 hours afterwards I get terrible cramp type pains in my belly and have to go and sit on the toilet from anywhere between 20-30 mins. I get waves of spasm in my gut and when one passes, I get a rest until the next wave comes along. This continues for about 30 mins and then mostly, I am ok again. It can go on for up to about 2 hours, but never more and then I feel a bit washed out and cannot eat a lot for the rest of the day, but the next day I am ok again and back to normal.

I just wondered what was going on with this as I can eat peanuts and other types of nuts and this does not happen - it is only ever cashew nuts and it does seem to be up to 48 hours after eating them that I get the belly cramps and spasms.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks

[BlackKat]

It seems to me that 48 hours afterwards would be too long afterwards for it to be the nuts as they would be out of your system before then... but perhaps like donuts they digest slowly?

I'd go to a doctor/allergist. He can do tests to see if it is indeed the nuts.

[Professor Yaffle]

Any ideas anyone?


Stop eating cashews?


But seriously, sounds like an intolerence, or irritable bowel syndrome that happens to be triggered by cashews. I get similar bouts of gut problems, but the triggers aren't so well defined with me.

[robinson]

Try organic, raw, whole cashews. (They are not really raw, they have to roast the raw "nut" because otherwise it is poisonous).

Cashews are really seeds of a tropical fruit, not a nut. They contain caustic phenolic resin, (urushiol) the same thing that is in poison ivy. Heat inactivates it. If you still get cramps, it is the food. If not, it is the cooking process, pesticides, or broken cashews leading to the intolerance. (I find broken nuts of any kind decay quickly, as opposed to whole nuts)

I can tolerate raw cashews, organic, but not the commercial "roasted" versions. Which might contain peanut oil, salt, and who knows what else. The second cooking process, (even "dry roasting"), seems to make them indigestible for me.

[Physiotherapist]

Thanks for that one and all.

Think I will probably have to give up the cashews for good now. It is interesting about the Poison Ivy, because I ate some cashews yesterday morning and again in the afternoon. Yesterday evening, I was itching like crazy and even coming out in red blotches and this morning, well I had terrible cramps and a very sore belly and was sitting for a good 30 mins while it all passed.

No more cashews for me then!!