Health Benefits: Almonds

Eating almonds has the same effect as the cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. A one and a half ounce handful of almonds is a leading source of vitamin E and magnesium and offers protein, fiber, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron in 246 calories.

Eating almonds has the same effect as the cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. A one and a half ounce handful of almonds is a leading source of vitamin E and magnesium and offers protein, fiber, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron in 246 calories. Also, almonds (and other nuts) contain phytochemicals, which are plant chemicals that may provide powerful protection against heart disease, stroke, and other chronic diseases.

New research gives even more support to the healthy benefits of almonds: almonds may well be a food that helps fight obesity and diabetes.

At the recent 2005 Experimental Biology conference there were several studies regarding the benefits on almonds. Almonds may lower LDL (aka “bad) cholesterol, and they seem to help block the body’s absorption of both fat and carbohydrates. This has numerous implications for diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. The fiber structure of almonds may be the mechanism behind this phenomenon, and this reduces the calories available from the almonds themselves. Almonds may slow the actual absorption of the carbohydrates into the body, which means that they help to create a slower rise in blood sugar levels – and therefore help to keep insulin levels in check.