Nutrition of Almonds

Almonds are one of the most nutritious of all nuts. As more and more consumers become dedicated to healthy life-styles, experts have found that adding natural foods, such as almonds, to your diet may be the prescription for physical wellness in the 21st century.

Almonds had been considered too fatty to be a healthy snack, but research has shown that the nuts actually lower blood cholesterol levels. 90 percent of the fats in almonds are unsaturated, and the nuts are high in protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, and other antioxidants. Almonds help prevent osteoporosis and they regulate blood pressure.

Here are some of the health benefits:
Get your daily dose of antioxidants: Do you know which type of vitamin E the human body absorbs best? It's called alpha-tocopherol vitamin E and almonds are one of the leading food sources of this important antioxidant. It can help neutralize harmful free radicals in your body which are unstable molecules that form as your body burns oxygen. Free radicals can damage your cells, tissues, and even your DNA. Researchers believe this process may contribute to the development of some chronic diseases such as cancer and heart diseases.

Manage your weight: To keep your body and especially your heart in the best possible shape, it's important to maintain your weight. Obesity is one of the most common reasons for Heart related disorders. Almonds don't just fight hunger pangs; they also provide fiber, "good" monounsaturated fats, and 6 grams of protein to help give you that "full" feeling. Almonds offer key benefits to anyone trying to watch those kilos, namely satiety; more quality calories with more nutrients; crunch; and undeniable tasty flavor.

Almonds protect against cardiovascular disease and diabetes: Almond's ability to reduce heart disease risk may also be due to the huge amounts of the antioxidant vitamin E found in these nuts, and the LDL lowering effect of the monounsaturated fats they contain. When almonds are substituted for more traditional fats in human feeding trials, LDL cholesterol is reduced from 8 to 12 percent.

Cancer Prevention: Almonds are low in saturated fat and contain many other protective nutrients - calcium and magnesium - for strong bones, vitamin E and compounds called phytochemicals, which may help protect against cardiovascular disease and even cancer.

Consume in multiple ways: Sliced, diced, roasted, blanched or flavored! Almonds can be consumed in various forms. They are scrumptious, stacked with nutrients and form an integral part of many homemade recipes in Pakistan. Snack on almonds while having your evening tea or just stir up a healthy almond shake.

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