Have you felt uncertain as to whether or not you should eat nuts like almonds, fearing that they are a high-fat, unhealthy food? If so, it’s time to change your perspective. Almonds provide your body with important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that benefit everything from cholesterol to blood sugar control.
Why are almonds good for you?
Almonds contain a variety of important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that help to benefit your overall health:
- Fiber
- Protein
- Monounsaturated fats
- Plant sterols (LINK TO blog on plant sterols, not published yet)
- a-tocopherols (vitamin E)
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Arginine, an amino acid [1]
These nutrients help almonds to serve many important roles in the body, including performing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.[2]
If you’re worried that eating almonds will make you gain weight, think again. Eating almonds is not associated with any increases in body mass index.[2]
5 reasons to love almonds
Almonds provide numerous health benefits.
- Improve overall diet quality. A recent study from the University of Florida found that when parents and children added almonds to their diet (1.5 ounces of almonds per day for adults and 0.5 ounces of almond butter per day for children), scores for overall diet quality increased significantly. When parents and children ate almonds, their Healthy Eating Index scores (a tool measuring diet quality) increased from 53.7 to 61.4.[3]
- Lower cholesterol. Almonds are some of the many effective cholesterol-lowering foods. Several studies have shown that almond consumption is associated with reductions in total and LDL-cholesterol levels.[1] In one study, people ate 1.5 ounces of almonds daily. They saw significant decreases in non-HDL cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels compared to a control group who did not eat almonds.[4]
- Improving gut bacterial balance. Studies show that eating almonds can alter the bacterial population in your digestive tract. This population, called the gut microbiome, is essential for many aspects of health, not just healthy digestion. When subjects in one study ate almonds, populations of healthy bacteria called Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus increased significantly. These types of bacteria are associated with enhanced immune activity, reduced cholesterol, healthy digestion, and inhibition of infection.[5]
- Control blood sugar. Eating almonds has been shown to reduce blood sugar responses after meals.[6] They are considered a healthy food to eat to help keep blood sugar levels steady.[2]
- Reduce appetite. Almonds are a great protein-rich snack to help tide you over until your next meal. When eaten as snacks, almonds reduce feelings of hunger and help reduce your desire to eat more.[6]
How to make almonds a more regular part of your diet
Studies show that about 1.5 ounces of almonds per day can have significant health benefit.
I love to keep a large bag of raw, unsalted almonds on hand as a snack. Grab a handful of these healthy tree nuts when you’re feeling hungry before meals and need something to tide you over.
Chopped almonds go great in granola or on top of oatmeal for breakfast. Slivered almonds are a tasty, crunchy addition to a salad. Almonds can even be added to dishes like curries, sauces, dips, and more. Search for recipes with almonds blended into these sorts of dishes for added health benefit.
Almonds aren’t the only healthy option when it comes to nut consumption. Walnuts have many health benefits, for example.
To read about some of the other health benefits of nuts in general, including how they can help you avoid disease, read Are Nuts Good for You or an Unhealthy Indulgence?
Share your experience
Do you eat almonds? What are your favorite ways to get almonds into your diet? Please share your tips in the comments section below.
[1] Nutr Rev. 2011 Apr;69(4):171-85.
[2] J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Jul 11;60(27):6694-702.
[3] Nutr Res. 2016 Jan;36(1):80-89.
[4] J Am Heart Assoc. 2015 Jan 5;4(1):e000993.
[5] Anaerobe. 2014 Apr;26:1-6.
[6] Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Nov;67(11):1205-14.
The post Are Almonds Good for You? 5 Reasons to Eat More of These Healthy Tree Nuts appeared first on Natural Health Advisory.
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