Health benefits of almonds
November 7th 2007 06:10
If you’re looking for a tasty snack or a bit of crunch in your salad then think no further than the tasty almond. This healthy seed of the almond tree is one of my personal favourites and is related to peaches, cherries and apricots.
Like other nuts, almonds are exceptionally good for you, full of monounsaturated fats (the good fats) that lower bad cholesterol and reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Studies have shown that by substituting some of the carbohydrates for nuts in your diet you can substantially lower the risk and by eating nuts instead of proteins with high levels of saturated fats, a risk reduction of up to 45% can be achieved.
Saturated fats are commonly found in animal products such as meat and dairy.
In addition, useful levels of vitamin E in almonds introduces an anti-oxidant effect, also reducing the risk of damage to the heart, and by lowering your bad cholesterol, heart disease risk is reduced even more. By introducing more monounsaturated fats into your diet, bad cholesterol can be reduced by up to 12%.
But there’s more!
Almonds are also high in magnesium, an essential mineral which relaxes veins and arteries, improving blood flow around the body. Deficiencies in magnesium have been linked to heart attack and post-heart attack damage to the heart by free radicals. These little nuts are also a good source of potassium, another mineral essential for maintaining a normal blood pressure and good heart health.
Almonds are great for cardiac health but to get maximum benefits it’s best to eat them with their skins on. Flavonoids present in the skins accentuate the good work done by vitamin E found in the meat of the nut, doubling the benefits for your heart. In fact, almond skins have twenty flavonoids, some of which are comparable to those found in well-known health foods, such as catechins in green tea and naringenin found in grapefruit.
Almonds can also assist with controlling diabetes by lowering after-meal surges in blood sugar which can increase the free-radicals in the body, a common side-effect of large blood sugar level elevations. And by providing essential anti-oxidants to aid with the clean up of the free-radicals, almonds can be a great after-meal snack choice.
Eaten with meals, almonds have been shown to have the ability to lower the Glycemic Index of a high GI meal. Great news for maintaining a healthy weight or boosting long-term energy levels. Studies have shown that nuts like almonds can actually lower the risk of gaining weight when eaten at least twice a week. Now there’s no excuse for not enjoying the benefits of these tasty treats.
Almonds and other nuts have even been studied in connection to gallstones with research showing that women who eat them regularly can have up to a 25% lower risk of developing gallstones. To get this added benefit, just a handful of nuts (around 30) need to be eaten each week.
Too easy!
So almonds are another wonder-food, with special benefits for cardiovascular health. And they are so versatile. Roast them in a slow oven for a wonderful snack or sprinkle on salads, pasta or cheese sauce dishes, such as cauliflower and broccoli cheese or fish in cheese sauce. Slithered almonds can be sprinkled on fish without a sauce to add a bit of texture to a meal.
Personally, I love them as a healthy snack, skins and all. Yum!!
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Like other nuts, almonds are exceptionally good for you, full of monounsaturated fats (the good fats) that lower bad cholesterol and reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Studies have shown that by substituting some of the carbohydrates for nuts in your diet you can substantially lower the risk and by eating nuts instead of proteins with high levels of saturated fats, a risk reduction of up to 45% can be achieved.
Saturated fats are commonly found in animal products such as meat and dairy.
In addition, useful levels of vitamin E in almonds introduces an anti-oxidant effect, also reducing the risk of damage to the heart, and by lowering your bad cholesterol, heart disease risk is reduced even more. By introducing more monounsaturated fats into your diet, bad cholesterol can be reduced by up to 12%.
But there’s more!
Almonds are also high in magnesium, an essential mineral which relaxes veins and arteries, improving blood flow around the body. Deficiencies in magnesium have been linked to heart attack and post-heart attack damage to the heart by free radicals. These little nuts are also a good source of potassium, another mineral essential for maintaining a normal blood pressure and good heart health.
Almonds are great for cardiac health but to get maximum benefits it’s best to eat them with their skins on. Flavonoids present in the skins accentuate the good work done by vitamin E found in the meat of the nut, doubling the benefits for your heart. In fact, almond skins have twenty flavonoids, some of which are comparable to those found in well-known health foods, such as catechins in green tea and naringenin found in grapefruit.
Almonds
Almonds can also assist with controlling diabetes by lowering after-meal surges in blood sugar which can increase the free-radicals in the body, a common side-effect of large blood sugar level elevations. And by providing essential anti-oxidants to aid with the clean up of the free-radicals, almonds can be a great after-meal snack choice.
Eaten with meals, almonds have been shown to have the ability to lower the Glycemic Index of a high GI meal. Great news for maintaining a healthy weight or boosting long-term energy levels. Studies have shown that nuts like almonds can actually lower the risk of gaining weight when eaten at least twice a week. Now there’s no excuse for not enjoying the benefits of these tasty treats.
Almonds and other nuts have even been studied in connection to gallstones with research showing that women who eat them regularly can have up to a 25% lower risk of developing gallstones. To get this added benefit, just a handful of nuts (around 30) need to be eaten each week.
Too easy!
So almonds are another wonder-food, with special benefits for cardiovascular health. And they are so versatile. Roast them in a slow oven for a wonderful snack or sprinkle on salads, pasta or cheese sauce dishes, such as cauliflower and broccoli cheese or fish in cheese sauce. Slithered almonds can be sprinkled on fish without a sauce to add a bit of texture to a meal.
Personally, I love them as a healthy snack, skins and all. Yum!!
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
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