VeggieSensations.com

Poison ivy is a member of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). People who are sensitive to poison ivy, oak, or sumac may react to other plants in the same cashew family. This family includes cashew, mango, ginkgo, Japanese lacquer, and Indian marking nut. All 3 members of the plant genus Toxicodendron -- poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac are native American plants.

According to experts at the American Academy of Dermatology, approximately 80 - 85 percent of the population will develop an allergic reaction to poison ivy, oak, or sumac if exposed to them more than once. An allergic reaction is a sensitivity or overreaction by the body to a substance. The allergic reaction to poison ivy, oak, and sumac is not immediate. It may take 12 to 48 hours after exposure for a rash to form. Usually, no visible reaction will occur the first time a person comes in contact with poison ivy, oak, or sumac. In fact, one may not even realize that contact has taken place. If a reaction does appear, it may be 7 to 10 days after the first exposure for the rash to show. Many people never develop an allergic reaction to poison ivy, oak, or sumac plants.

Cashew shell nut oil has a number of industrial uses including an ingredient in ink, adhesives and in the manufacture of resins. The cashew shell nut contains a brown oily juice which is full of allergens. People can be allergic to cashew nut shell oil and allergic to the nut itself. Roasting the shell releases the irritating vapors. If roasting is complete, all the allergens should be inactive. Nut shell oil allergies cause a dermatitis reaction which is an irritation of the skin and is not life threatening condition. This is quite different to the cashew nut allergy which can cause an anaphylactic reaction. This potentially life-threatening reaction is caused by a very small amount of the cashew kernel itself. Fortunately, an allergy to cashew nuts is much less common than to other tree nuts.

Copyright by VeggieSensations.com 7/6/2006