TITLE:
Amazonian Fruits: An Overview of Nutrients, Calories and Use in Metabolic Disorders
AUTHORS:
Moacir Couto de Andrade Júnior, Jerusa Souza Andrade
KEYWORDS:
Oleaginous Fruits, Starchy-Oily Fruits, Fleshy Fruits, Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.5 No.17,
September
11,
2014
ABSTRACT: Amazonian fruits are outstanding in quality. They are consumed as true delicacies of nature by the Brazilian population. Besides their attractive attributes, i.e. appearance, different textures and distinctive flavors, their nutritional value is diversified in the type of calories and the functional food ingredients. In addition to being very palatable, Amazonian fruits provide energy-rich macronutrients (lipids, proteins and carbohydrates), micronutrients (minerals, water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins), prebiotics (dietary fibers, especially pectin), bioactive substances (carotenoids and polyphenols), variety in the diet and improvement in the organoleptic properties and digestibility of (mixed) foods. This study first aimed to review concepts applicable to nutritional constituents and caloric contents of Amazonian fruits. It also attempted to clarify the potential use of these fruits in metabolic disorders (i.e. diabetes mellitus and/or obesity). To fulfill these purposes, 12 fruits were chosen for their dietetic significance in the Brazilian Amazonia.