INC: Cashew calorie content may be lower than previously thought

In a recent human intervention trial published in the journal Nutrients, researchers from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center studied cashew nuts. Effective energy content.

Eighteen healthy volunteers were recruited to participate in the nine-week study. Participants consumed a control basal diet with cashew nuts (42 g/day) in one course of 4 weeks or a control basal diet without cashews in another course of treatment. Diet samples from the study, as well as feces and urine from 18 volunteers, were collected during the last week of each intervention phase and analyzed for protein, fat and energy content. Through this, the researchers were able to determine the actual digestible energy content of the cashew nuts.

The results of the study showed that the effective energy (calorie) content of cashew nuts was 16% lower than the energy (calorie) content generally indicated in the current US food label and database (including the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference). These errors must be corrected to provide the consumer with an accurate energy value. The current reported energy value is 163 kcal/share, and researchers from the US Department of Agriculture found that a 28 g (1 ounce) cashew nutrient energy content is 137 kcal.

At the same time, another recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that eating 42 grams of cashews per day does not increase LDL (low-density lipoprotein) "bad" cholesterol levels. The study also found that adding 42 grams of cashews per day to a typical Western diet may help reduce PCSK9 enzymes, while lower PCSK9 concentrations are associated with clearing LDL "bad" cholesterol in the blood.

The study was supported by the Global Cashew Council and the INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council.