Cashew nuts are a brilliant source of mono un-saturated fats. They are also a good resource for several minerals, including copper, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc. Also, cashew nuts are a first-class source of biotin and protein. A third of a cup of shelled cashews provides 261 calories, 21.4 grams of protein, and 15.3 grams of carbohydrate.
Cashews have excellent nutritional value. Cashew nuts are lower in fat and a higher protein and carbohydrate than most other nuts. The fat that they do contain is by and large (60 to 65 per¬cent) derived from oleic acid, which is a mono unsaturated oil with known benefits in protecting against heart disease and cancer. Although cashew nuts are lower in vitamin E and calcium than most nuts, they are a good source of pro¬tein, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc.
(Activity4Life Forum 2007)
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As with other 'natural' products, safety and proper
quality controls should be our major concern...
Mycoflora and mycotoxins of Brazilian cashew kernels.
Freire FC, Kozakiewicz Z, Paterson RR.
Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Agroindustria Tropical, (EMBRAPA/CNPAT), Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. freire@cnpat.embrapa.br
Kernel samples of common and dwarf Brazilian cashew nuts were highly contaminated with field and storage fungi in comparison to healthy ones. In general, dwarf cashews were more contaminated than common. A total of 37 fungal species were identified.
Aspergillus niger was the dominant species with more colonies being isolated from dwarf kernels. A. flavus was the next most frequently isolated species. Penicillium brevicompactum, and P. glabrum were the most frequently isolated penicillia, with higher contamination recorded from dwarf kernels. Chaetomium globosum was recorded at a high level. Nine species were recorded from cashew kernels for the first time. Multimycotoxin analysis by tlc and hplc were positive for mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites particularly from the infected samples. Hplc was only carried out on dwarf cashews. Aflatoxins were not detected by quantitative high performance thin layer chromatography.
Mycopathologia. 1999;145(2):95-103.
Spoilage fungi and their mycotoxins in commercially marketed chestnuts.
Overy DP, Seifert KA, Savard ME, Frisvad JC.
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Branch, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C6. david.overy@biocentrum.dtu.dk
A nationwide survey was carried out to assess mould spoilage of Castanea sativa nuts sold in Canadian grocery stores in 1998-99. Morphological and cultural characters, along with secondary metabolite profiles derived from thin-layer chromatography, were used to sort and identify fungi cultured from nut tissue. Three mycotoxigenic fungi dominated (Penicillium crustosum, Penicillium glabrum/spinulosum and Penicillium discolor) and were isolated at frequencies of 67.1%, 18.6% and 17.7%, respectively, from a total sample size of 350 nuts. Another mycotoxin producer, Aspergillus ochraceus was also isolated, but at a much lower frequency. HPLC and diode array detection were used to confirm the suspected presence of the mycotoxins penitrem A, chaetoglobosin A and C, emodin and ochratoxin A in extracts prepared from naturally infected nut tissue. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time emodin has been found in a naturally contaminated food source.
Int J Food Microbiol. 2003 Nov 15;88(1):69-77.