November 2, 2015
For the first time, a team of
researchers have analysed the nutritional composition of raw cashew nuts from
the largest growing regions around the world, providing a much better
approximation of the real nutrient content of cashews.Researchers studied the
composition of raw cashew kernels from India, Ivory Coast, Vietnam, Brazil,
Mozambique, and Kenya. Composition analysis was conducted within three months
after harvest, and included dietary fibre, sugar, protein, lipid profile, salt,
energy content, sterol content and profile, amino acids, vitamins, and
minerals.
The researchers concluded that
cashews are a good source of nutrients as they are rich in healthy unsaturated
fats, high in dietary fibre and have an excellent profile of plant-based
proteins. They also contain a wide variety of important micro nutrients
including vitamins and amino acids. No significant differences were found among
samples from different origins.The results also showed that cashews are
relatively high in fat, but most of that fat (80%) is unsaturated. It is
important to look at not only the amount of fat, but also the type. Saturated
fat can raise blood cholesterol levels, which can increase the risk of
cardiovascular disease. On the contrary, unsaturated fats, such as mono- and
polyunsaturated fat, can actually decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL or
"bad" cholesterol) levels.Modern human nutrition research has linked
nuts consumption with several health benefits due to their particular nutrient
composition. Including nuts in a healthy diet is associated to a reduced risk
of cardiovascular disease and mortality, especially stroke, and to a decreased
risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Furthermore, epidemiological and
clinical studies have shown that frequent nut intake is not associated with
weight gain.
The study is available to read,
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