Effects of temperature and packaging atmosphere on total antioxidants and colour of walnut (Juglans regia L.) kernels during storage

The effects of cultivar and storage conditions (time; temperature and O2 availability) on total phenolics (TP); total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and colour in walnut kernels of three cultivars (Chandler; Hartley and Ioli) were investigated. Harvested walnuts were dried at 36 °C for 24 h; packaged in polyethylene||polyamide pouches flushed with dry air or N2 or […]

The role of diet in the prevention of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an important preventable disease and a growing public health problem. Epidemiologic and interventional studies suggest that weight loss is the main driving force to reduce diabetes risk. Landmark clinical trials of lifestyle changes in subjects with prediabetes have shown that diet and exercise leading to weight loss consistently reduce the […]

Changes in diet and lifestyle and long-term weight gain in women and men

BACKGROUND: Specific dietary and other lifestyle behaviors may affect the success of the straightforward-sounding strategy "eat less and exercise more" for preventing long-term weight gain. METHODS: We performed prospective investigations involving three separate cohorts that included 120;877 U.S. women and men who were free of chronic diseases and not obese at baseline; with follow-up periods […]

Nuts improve diet quality compared to other energy-dense snacks while maintaining body weight

Previous studies have reported that regular nut consumption reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and does not promote weight gain despite the fact that nuts are energy-dense. However; no studies have investigated the body composition of those regularly consuming nuts compared to similar intakes of other snacks of equal energy density. This parallel study (n = […]

Acrylamide Formation in Almonds (Prunus dulcis): Influences of Roasting Time and Temperature; Precursors; Varietal Selection; and Storage

Acrylamide is a probable human carcinogen that is found in many roasted and baked foods. This paper describes two sensitive and reliable LC-(ESI)MS/MS methods for the analysis of (1) acrylamide and (2) common acrylamide precursors (i.e.; glucose; fructose; asparagine; and glutamine) in raw and roasted almonds. These methods were used to evaluate the impact of […]

The effect of pistachio shells as a visual cue in reducing caloric consumption

It was hypothesized that pistachio shells left in sight as visual cues of consumption will cause individuals to consume less. A convenience sample of faculty and staff at a mid-western university (n=118) were recruited as subjects for the study. The subjects were told they were going to evaluate a variety of brands of pistachios and […]

Measured energy value of pistachios in the human diet

Previous studies have suggested that lipid from nuts is more poorly absorbed than that from other food sources. If lipid from nuts is poorly absorbed; then the metabolisable energy contained in the nuts is less than that predicted by the Atwater general factors. A crossover feeding study was conducted in which sixteen volunteers consumed pistachios […]

Effect of processing on the drying kinetics and functional value of dried apricot

Apricots can be considered as a good source of phenolic compounds; which are beneficial for human health. Microwaves may be an alternative to the conventional sun or hot air drying techniques used to obtain dried apricot. Nevertheless; their impact on the functional compounds must be taken into account if they are to be recommended as […]

Phenolic compound content of fresh and dried figs (Ficus carica L.)

Eighteen fig cultivars commonly grown in the south-eastern Spain were collected in two crops (spring and summer) and their polyphenolic profile was determined. Fruit from the first crop generally showed higher phenolic values than those from the second. Higher concentrations of total phenolics were found in skin than in flesh. LC-UV-DAD/ESI-MSn analysis of the figs […]