Comparison of phenol content and antioxidant capacity of nuts Comparação entre o conteúdo de fenólicos e capacidade antioxidante de sementes

Several studies indicate that frequent nut intake (a serving per day, of ~28 to 100 g/d) confers protective effects against cardiovascular disease. In general, nuts have high lipid contents but with favorable profiles for promoting cardiovascular health, since they are low in saturated fatty acids and high in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Studies connecting nut consumption and cardiovascular health disease have focused on fatty acid constituents; however there are other bioactive compounds that may confer additional protective effects. Kris-Etherton et al. (1999) demonstrated a significant decrease in LDL-cholesterol levels by replacing saturated fatty acids with unsaturated fatty acids in the diet. It was even observed that nut intake (walnut, hazelnut, macadamia, and almond) had higher effects than the intake of the same fatty acid profile, confirming the effects of additional compounds such as phytosterols and phytochemicals.