Essential n-3 fatty acids in pregnant women and early visual acuity maturation in term infants
BACKGROUND: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is important to neural development. Whether DHA intakes are low enough in some pregnant women to impair infant development is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine whether DHA deficiency occurs in pregnant women and contributes to poor infant development. DESIGN: Biochemical cutoffs; dietary intakes; or developmental scores indicative of DHA deficiency […]
The effect of walnut intake on factors related to prostate and vascular health in older men
BACKGROUND: Tocopherols may protect against prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: We assessed the effect of walnuts; which are rich in tocopherols; on markers of prostate and vascular health in men at risk for prostate cancer. We conducted an 8-week walnut supplement study to examine effects of walnuts on serum tocopherols and prostate specific […]
Cashew gum microencapsulation protects the aroma of coffee extracts
Microencapsulation of materials rich in volatile compounds by spray drying presents the challenge of removing water by vapourization without loss of odour and/or flavour components. Crioconcentrated coffee extracts rich in odour components were used as a substrate core to evaluate microencapsulation with cashew gum from Anacardium occidentale L. In Brazil; cashew gum is a low […]
Chemical composition; and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of three hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) cultivars
Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is a very popular dry fruit in the world being consumed in different form and presentations. In the present work; three hazelnut cultivars (cv. Daviana; Fertille de Coutard and M. Bollwiller) produced in Portugal; were characterized in respect to their chemical composition; antioxidant potential and antimicrobial activity. The samples were analysed […]
The effect of nuts on inflammation
Inflammation is one of the recognised mechanisms involved in the development of atherosclerotic plaque and insulin resistance. Inflammatory or endothelial markers such as C-Reactive Protein (CRP); Interleukin-6 (IL-6); fibrinogen; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and Intracellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) have been identified as independent predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or diabetes in human prospective studies. […]
The energetics of nut consumption
Nuts are a nutrient-rich food group. Depending on the type; they may provide substantive concentrations of Vitamin E; magnesium; folate; essential fatty acids; fiber and protein to the diet. They also contain potentially important phytochemicals. By mechanisms yet to be identified; they are reported to improve postprandial lipid profiles and may hold other health benefits. […]
A macadamia nut-rich diet reduces total and LDL-cholesterol in mildly hypercholesterolemic men and women
Epidemiologic studies and clinical trials have demonstrated that the unique fatty acid profile of nuts beneficially affects serum lipids/lipoproteins; reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Nuts are low in SFA and high in PUFA and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Macadamia nuts are a rich source of MUFA. A randomized; crossover; controlled feeding study (5-wk diet periods) […]
A survey of the bacteriological quality of preroasted peanut; almond; cashew; hazelnut; and Brazil nut kernels received into three Australian nut-processing facilities over a period of 3 years
There is little information about bacteriological quality of preroasted kernels available in the public domain. An investigation of the bacteriological quality of preroasted peanut; almond; cashew; hazelnut; and Brazil nut kernels received into three Australian nut-processing facilities was performed over a period of 3 years. A total of 836 samples were analyzed for aerobic plate […]
Anacardic acid (6-nonadecyl salicylic acid); an inhibitor of histone acetyltransferase; suppresses expression of NF-{kappa}B-regulated gene products involved in cell survival; proliferation; invasion and inflammation through inhibition of I{kappa}B{alpha}
Anacardic acid (6-pentadecylsalicylic acid) is derived from traditional medicinal plants such as cashew nuts and has been linked to anticancer; anti-inflammatory; and radiosensitization activities through a mechanism that is not yet fully understood. Because of the role of NF-kappaB activation in these cellular responses; we postulated that anacardic acid might interfere this pathway. We found […]
Brazil nuts: an effective way to improve selenium status.
BACKGROUND: Brazil nuts provide a rich natural source of selenium; yet no studies have investigated the bioavailability of selenium in humans. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the efficacy of Brazil nuts in increasing selenium status in comparison with selenomethionine. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 59 New Zealand adults. Participants consumed 2 Brazil nuts thought […]