Medicinal Nuts

                Vicia faba L.

Fabaceae
Broadbean, Fava bean, Horsebean, Windsorbean, Tickbeans (small types)

Said to be used for diuretic, expectorant, and tonic.

Inhalation of the pollen or ingestion of the seeds may cause favism, a severe hemolytic anemia, perhaps causing collapse. It is an inherited enzymatic deficiency occasional among Mediterranean people (Greek, Italian, Semitics). The genetic disorder occurs in about 1% of whites, 15% of blacks. The favism-inducing toxins are believed to be divicine and isouramil, the aglycone moieties of vicine and convicine. Flesh of broadbeans contains ca. 0.61–2.38% vicine, common vetch contains 0.04%, peas contitin traces, and soy flour is devoid of vicine. Injected intravenously in rabbits, broadbean extracts have produced haemoglobinuria and death. An ethanol-ether extract of broadbeans has estrogenic activity, 50 mg stimulates the nonpregnant uterus at dioestrus.