| Sumario: |
Three varieties of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivated in Chiriquí were analyzed to determine their nutritional properties. Cassava is a formidable food; it nourishes more than 800 million people. It supports little fertile land, it needs little water and few pesticides. It ranks fifth, after rice, corn, potatoes and sugar cane, for calories produced. In order to recommend the optimal amounts of nutrients to the population, a quantitative analysis is necessary to know the chemical composition of the foods that make up the daily diet. In Panama, we do not have food composition tables and the bromatological analysis is necessary in its fruits, tubers, vegetables and others. The percentage of humidity, ash, protein, crude fiber, fat, carbohydrate and minerals such as potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese and zinc are determined. The results obtained allow us to recommend cassava as an important source of carbohydrates.
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