Chemical composition of nuts and seeds sold in Korea.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Laboratory compositional analysis without human participants.
PubMed 23610599 · doi:10.4162/nrp.2013.7.2.82
What was done
Eleven types of commercial nuts and seeds sold in Korea were chemically analyzed to determine energy, moisture, macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, lipid, ash), amino acid composition, fatty acids (MUFA, PUFA), vitamin E, and trace elements/heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb) per 100 g of sample.
What was found
Across the 11 varieties, reported energy ranged from 326 to 733 mg/100 g (highest in pine nuts at 733 mg/100 g), carbohydrates ranged from 8.8 to 70.9 mg/100 g (highest in dried figs at 70.9 mg/100 g), and protein ranged from 4.9 to 30.5 mg/100 g (highest in peanuts at 30.5 mg/100 g). Macadamia nuts had the highest monounsaturated fatty acids (81.3%) and no detectable vitamin E, walnuts had the highest polyunsaturated fatty acids (76.7%), and sunflower seeds had the highest vitamin E (60.3 mg/kg). For minerals and metals, iron was highest in pumpkin seeds (95.85 ± 33.01 ppm), zinc was highest in pistachios (67.24 ± 30.25 ppm), copper was highest in walnuts (25.45 ± 21.51 ppm), and lead was highest in wheat nuts (25.49 ± 4.64 ppm, P < 0.05).
Why it matters
This study provides baseline nutritional and heavy metal reference data for commercial nuts and seeds sold in Korea, identifying specific micronutrient-dense items and highlighting a need to monitor lead levels in wheat nuts.
Limits
The analysis evaluated only 11 food types without detailing sample origin, agricultural practices, batch numbers, or preparation methods. The abstract reports macronutrient and energy values with apparent unit printing errors (reporting mg rather than g or kcal per 100 g). No biological availability or human health outcomes were investigated.
Cited by
- supports Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are high in iron.