A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON NUTRIENT CONTENT OF RAW AND ROASTED NUTS

Nuts are highly valued for their properties and are consumed worldwide owing to their health benefits, particularly, for the prevention and treatment of diseases, as well as a source of essential macro- and micronutrients. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of roasting on the nutritional value of nuts. Three types of nuts, raw and roasted almonds, cashews, and walnuts were selected from three well-known companies in Saudi Arabia. To analyze and evaluate the stability of macro- and micronutrients in nuts, modern separation and quantification methods, including inductively coupled plasma -optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OSE), were used to analyze and evaluate the stability of nutrients and heavy metals in nuts that are widely distributed and consumed. The results of this study indicate that nuts have high nutritional value and an inverse roasting effect. Comparing the nutrient and metal contents of raw and roasted nuts provides useful information on the nutritional science of nuts consumed by well-known manufacturers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Further investigations of nuts are needed to draw firm conclusions regarding their association with the prevention of many different diseases.