Almonds

This article is part of a larger article titled "100+ Healthiest Foods On Planet Earth."  Read it here.

Almonds are a very popular nut and are found not only in the diet but also in many health and beauty products. This may be for a very good reason, as they are filled with loads of health-boosting properties.

Can fight against cancer and disease. Almonds are packed with antioxidants, which fight off free radicals, molecules created through radiation, pollution and other processes, which cause diseases such as cancer.

Liu et al (2013) found that consuming 56 g of almonds per day for 4 weeks led to a significant reduction in inflammation and free radical damage in patients with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, Bostick et al (1993) found that consuming foods high in vitamin E (an antioxidant found in almonds) could significantly reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.

Protects against damage to cell membranes. Almonds are one of the best sources of vitamin E (with one ounce containing a massive 37% of the RDA), which is very important for protecting cell membranes from damage.

This damage has been identified as a cause of metastatic cancer (cancer which spreads away from its place of origin, Jaiswal and Nylandsted, 2015), cell death following spinal cord injury (Creutz, 2012), and death of bone marrow cells (Xin et al, 2014) among other health problems.

Can protect against heart disease. Heart disease is caused by atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries due to cholesterol build up. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide (NHS, 2014), so it is an extremely important global health issue that needs to be tackled.

One very effective way to deal with the problem is to alter the diet, and almonds have been shown to significantly reduce both low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and is particularly effective for LDL cholesterol which is also known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol (Lovejoy et al, 2002).

Excellent for weight loss. Almonds are rich in fatty acids which may put some people off when they are trying to lose weight, but research shows that they may actually be extremely good for weight loss.

Wein et al (2003) assessed weight loss in overweight women who either had an almond enriched or complex carbohydrate enriched low calorie diet. Those on the almond enriched diet ate 84g almonds per day.

The researchers found that those on the almond diet lost 7% more weight, saw a 5% greater reduction in their waist circumference, and had a 10% greater reduction in their fat mass. They also had a reduction in body water and systolic blood pressure.