The Benefits of Eating Almonds
Almonds might just be the world’s perfect food. In fact, The George Mateljan Foundation’s “World’s Healthiest Foods” database, offers an incredibly extensive article detailing all of the phenomenal benefits of almonds, and there’s so much to say that the article goes on for nearly as long as an entire textbook! To read that whole piece, please click here. Alternatively, here are our favorite excerpts from this wonderful piece about one of the key ingredients in our paleo brownies:
Almonds might just be the world’s perfect food.
1. Eating Almonds Lowers Your Risk of Weight Gain
Although nuts are known to provide a variety of cardio-protective benefits, many avoid them for fear of weight gain. A prospective study published in the journal Obesity shows such fears are groundless. In fact, people who ate nuts at least twice a week were much less likely to gain weight than those who almost never ate nuts. The 28-month study involving 8,865 adult men and women in Spain, found that participants who ate nuts at least two times per week were 31% less likely to gain weight than were participants who never or almost never ate nuts. And, among the study participants who gained weight, those who never or almost never ate nuts gained more (an average of 424 g more) than those who ate nuts at least twice weekly. Study authors concluded, "Frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of weight gain (5 kg or more). These results support the recommendation of nut consumption as an important component of a cardioprotective diet and also allay fears of possible weight gain." Practical Tip: Don't let concerns about gaining weight prevent you from enjoying the delicious taste and many health benefits of nuts!
2. Eating Paleo Friendly Nuts (Like Almonds!) Reduces Your Risk of Heart Disease
Nuts are proven to be associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease, according to research published in the British Journal of Nutrition. (Kelly JH, Sabate J.) In this study, researchers looked at four large prospective epidemiological studies—the Adventist Health Study, Iowa Women's Study, Nurses' Health Study and the Physician's Health Study. When evidence from all four studies was combined, subjects consuming nuts at least 4 times a week showed a 37% reduced risk of coronary heart disease compared to those who never or seldom ate nuts. Each additional serving of nuts per week was associated with an average 8.3% reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Practical Tip: To lower your risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease, enjoy a handful of nuts or nut butter at least 4 times a week.
3. Almonds Provide Protection Against Diabetes and Blood Sugar Spikes
Lessening after-meal surges in blood sugar helps protect against diabetes and cardiovascular disease, most likely by lessening the increase in cholesterol-damaging free radicals that accompanies large elevations in blood sugar. Almonds appear to not only decrease after-meal rises in blood sugar, but also provide antioxidants to mop up the smaller amounts of free radicals that still result. (Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Journal of Nutrition). The proof in a study: Researchers fed 15 healthy subjects 5 meals providing a comparable amount of carbohydrate, fat and protein: 3 test meals (almonds and bread, parboiled rice, and instant mashed potatoes) and 2 bread control meals. Blood samples, taken before each meal and 4 hours afterwards, showed levels of protective antioxidants increased after the almond meal, but decreased after the other meals. And not only did the almond meal increase antioxidant levels, but unlike the other foods, almonds also lowered the rise in blood sugar and insulin seen after eating. We're pretty sure this effect would be even more profound when eating a treat like a brownie!