Almonds are the perennial nutritious food. In fact, people have been obsessed with almonds since 1400 B.C., and they are even mentioned in the bible. Later, almond trees were cultivated in modern-day Spain, Greece, Morocco, and Israel until they eventually found a home in California during the 20th century. That’s why today, almond trees are grown on over half a million acres of land, and they are one of California’s top agricultural export. You can now buy almonds in different forms such as slivered, sliced, whole, chopped, like almond milk, flour, paste, and even oil. Each of them is uniquely delicious, and they are perfect for the body. That’s why in this article, we are going to know more about almonds and its benefits.
Are Almonds Good For You?
At some point, people doubted the almond’s health benefits because they are high in fat. But today, we recognized that almonds, along with other tree nuts, are abundant in the satiating trifecta of fat, fiber, and even protein. All of them can play an essential role in losing weight. Research shows that people who consumed almonds lost more total body fat in the middle part of their bodies. And they also saw their diastolic blood pressure decrease compared to the people who had a nut-free diet.
Health Benefits of Almonds
- Almonds Help Boost Heart Health – One study showed that adults with high harmful cholesterol levels who ate 1.5 oz of almonds every day for six weeks had decreased LDL cholesterol and belly fat compared to people who ate the same amount of calories in a muffin. That’s why experts say that replacing your high carbohydrate snack with almonds can help lessen the risk of heart disease.
- Almonds Help Prevent Onset Type 2 Diabetes – If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, changing your diet and figuring out what you can and cannot eat to manage your blood sugar can be quite hard. A research done by the American Diabetes Association shows that adults with prediabetes who consumed 2 oz of almonds per day showed improvement in their insulin sensitivity and lowered their LDL cholesterol levels.
- Almonds Can Help Improve Your Diet – Almonds can help improve you improve your gut’s immunity and health because they are high in fiber and protein.
How to Pick Store Almonds and Other Almond Products
- Snacking Almonds – When it comes to snacking almonds, always choose the almonds that will suit your needs or recipe such as whole, blanched, slivered, or roasted. You can find these kinds of almonds in the baking section of the supermarket. Keep in mind that almonds do go bad, but their antioxidants help them stay fresh for an extended time. If you keep almonds in your refrigerator, they will stay good for almost two years. If you have roasted almonds in your pantry, always remember to keep them in airtight containers so that they will remain crunchy.
- Almond Milk – When it comes to picking almond milk, you have two choices, shelf-stable almond milk that is commonly located in the non-dairy section of the supermarket or the one that is refrigerated, which can be found near the dairy milk section. If you opt for the shelf-stable almond milk, make sure that you refrigerate it after you open it.
Take note that the nutrition facts for almond milk are different from whole almonds. This is because almond milk is made by soaking them in water, blending, and straining them to get the liquid.
- Almond Butter – You can find almond butter near the peanut butter section of the supermarket. But be prepared because they can be quite expensive than your regular peanut butter. If you have the budget for it, it’s best to opt for almond butter than peanut butter. Just remember to read the label and choose the one that contains only almonds.
What are the Possible Side Effects of Almonds?
If you have an allergy to tree nuts, then you can have an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis when you eat almonds. Overeating almonds can also cause some weight gain. That’s why always remember to eat almonds in portions. Experts recommend at least 1 to 1.5 oz of almonds a day.