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Health Benefits

Benefits In So Many Ways

Tasty? Yes. Crunchy? Absolutely. But did you know that almonds are heart healthy, gluten-free, can support weight management goals and have gut health benefits?

Treat your heart right with almonds.

 

Heart Health

Almonds’ heart-smart benefits are meaningful for just about everyone, especially since cardiovascular disease holds the spot as the leading cause of death among men and women in India.

Almonds are free of trans fat and rich in healthy monounsaturated fats. According to a panel of Indian experts in the field of nutrition and cardiovascular disease (CVD), daily inclusion of almonds as part of a healthy diet - long an Indian dietary tradition - may help reduce dyslipidaemia, one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease among Indians. Dyslipidaemia is a condition marked by high LDL - cholesterol and triglyceride levels and low HDL cholesterol levels.9

Kalita S, Khandelval S, Mada J, Pandya H, Sesikeran B, Krishnaswamy K. 2018. Almonds and Cardiovascular Health: A Review. Nutrients.Apr 11;10(4). pii: E468. doi: 10.3390/nu10040468.

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Time for a gut check – digest this.

 

Gut Health

The human gut or gastrointestinal tract (GI) functions as a gateway to our immune system, with approximately 80% of immunity starting there.10 It’s also where prebiotics come into play. In vitro research hypothesises, but does not prove, that almonds may have a prebiotic effect that can support the GI tract.11 Other research has looked at how almonds –including different forms –may have an impact on gut microbiota.12 And while more research and human clinical studies are needed to determine the prebiotic effect of almonds, it’s still just one more reason to include them in your diet. Not to mention a 30-gram serving provides 4 grams of fibre which can also contribute significantly to a healthy digestive tract.

10 A.K. Abbas, A.H.H. Lichtman, S. Pillai, Cellular and Molecular Immunology E-Book, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2017.

11 In a study conducted at the Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK, researchers used a model gut to digest almonds and examined the prebiotic effects of two types of almonds compared to a recognised prebiotic. Learn More about the study here (https://aem.asm.org/content/74/14/4264.full?view=long&pmid=18502914). Mandalari G, Nueno-Palop C, Bisignano G, Wickham MSJ, Narbad A. 2008. Potential Prebiotic Properties of Almond (Amygdalus communisL.) Seeds. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 74(14):4264-4270.

12 Holscher HD, Taylor AM, Swanson KS, Novotny JA and Baer DJ. 2018. Almond consumption and processing affects the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota of healthy adult men and women: A randomised controlled trial. Nutrients. 10(2), 126; doi:10.3390/nu10020126. Available via Open Access

 

Almonds... a perfect fit for weight-wise eating plans.

 

Weight Management

Just a 30-gram handful of almonds a day can offer a lot to those trying to manage their weight. With that light, buttery flavour and satisfying crunch, it almost feels like a bonus that a growing body of research is demonstrating that almonds can help support weight management efforts.

  • A 2015 study published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that a mid-morning snack of almonds (42g) vs no snack, helped control appetite in participants and resulted in lower calorie intake at lunch and dinner. Results suggest that, rather than skipping out on a snack, eating almonds as a mid-morning snack may help curb hunger.13
  • Results of a 2013 study from Purdue University suggest that snacking on nutrient-rich almonds won’t affect your weight. The study found that the calorie intakes and body weights of participants eating 43g of almonds/day over the course of four weeks remained similar to those who did not did not eat almonds.14
  • A 2016 study by researchers from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that in whole unroasted almonds, 25% fewer calories are absorbed, while whole roasted almonds offer 19% fewer calories and chopped roasted almonds offer 17% fewer calories, compared to the number of calories listed on nutrition labels. For almond butter, the absorbed calories do not differ from those on nutrition labels. While the composition of almonds hasn’t changed, researchers used a new method of measuring the calories in almonds, which built on traditional methods and allowed them to determine the number of calories actually digested and absorbed from almonds.15
  • Almonds provide 4 grams of fibre, “good” monounsaturated fats and 6 grams of protein that provide both energy and satisfaction.
  • Almonds are considered a good fit with many popular weight-loss plans because they provide energising plant protein, fibre and healthy fats, to help keep you going between meals.

13 Hull, S., R. Re, L. Chambers, A. Echaniz, M.S.J. Wickham. 2015. A mid-morning snack of almonds generates satiety and appropriate adjustment of subsequent food intake in healthy women. Eur. J. Nutr. 54:803-810.

14 Tan, S-Y. and Mattes, RD. 2013. Appetitive, dietary and health effects of almonds consumed with meals or as snacks: a randomised, controlled trial. Eur J Clin Nutr N; 67(11): 1205–1214.

15 Gebauer SK, Novotny JA, Bornhorst GM, Baer DJ. Food Processing and Structure Impact the Metabolisable Energy of Almonds. Food & Function. 2016, 7 (10): 4231-4238.

Almonds... an ideal snack choice for diabetes-friendly diets.

 

Diabetes

According to the International Diabetes Federation, over 77 million adults in India are living with diabetes (8.9% of the adult population). For that reason, it’s important to understand the positive impact almonds can have. The nutritional value of almonds –low on the glycaemic index and providing a powerful nutrient package including hunger-fighting protein (6g/30g), dietary fibre (4g/30g), healthy monounsaturated fats16 (9g MUFAs/30g) and important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E (7. mg/30g), magnesium (80mg/30g) and potassium (220mg/30g), combined with their versatility and many forms, makes them a smart snack for those with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes. A growing body of research suggests that almonds may play a positive role in overall dietary patterns beneficial for those with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.

16 Almonds are high in oleic acid, the same healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil.