Why are almonds good for you?

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.

Almonds also have greater levels of satiety, that is, satisfaction or fullness from food. This may be due to the high fiber content of the almonds, and this greater satiety leads to an overall satisfaction of hunger that can help people to maintain a healthy weight. The studies done at Purdue University showed that adding nearly two servings of almonds to a person’s diet did not cause them to gain weight or body fat at all, but rather led them to decrease their intake of calories from other sources of food. Therefore they did not consume more calories overall but kept the same levels of consumption despite adding almonds to their diet.