The health benefits of eating almonds

Almonds have long been considered a food that is high in nutrition.Today, many nutritionists are even labeling the almond a "super-food". Adding almonds to your diet can help boost your nutritional intake considerably. Almonds are considered a whole food with a variety of nutrients.Most people typically consume a diet high in processed foods and low in whole foods. Almonds contain a variety of vitamins and minerals which include:

• Manganese
• Vitamin E
• Fiber
• Magnesium
• Copper
• Tryptophan
• Phosphorus
• Riboflavin
• Protein

Research has shown that almonds are particularly beneficial to your health, when they are eaten raw with the skin. Studies show that when almonds are eaten with the skin, Vitamin E and antioxidant-flavonoids are significantly increased in the body. This is because the skin contains twenty powerful antioxidants that are found to be effective in disease prevention.

One of the best benefits of almonds is their effectiveness in promoting weight loss. Research has found that when you are supplying the body with the necessary calorie intake, to supply energy needs, enriching the diet with almonds will help shed the pounds. In addition, almonds are high in healthy monounsaturated fat, which studies show to be more effective in promoting weight loss than complex carbohydrates.

Because of the misconception that almonds are fatty, many people avoid them, because of the fear of weight gain.The reality is that studies show that those that consume almonds at least twice a week, are far less likely to gain weight, than those who never eat almonds. Some studies have shown that almond consumption, which resulted in an increase of several hundred calories per day, only slightly increased total daily calorie intake, because test subjects found the almonds so satisfying that they ate less of other foods than normal. Even then the extra calorie intake was only partially absorbed, because of the high fiber that is present in almonds.

It has also been shown that regular consumption of almonds lowers the amount of animal protein, trans fatty acids, sugars, sodium, and cholesterol that is consumed. This is because eating highly nutritious foods tends to satisfy much more than empty nutrition foods, eliminating cravings for unhealthy and unsatisfying foods that are high in sugars, and unhealthy fats.

Researchers have also found that regular consumption of raw, unsalted, almonds reduces LDL cholesterol. It was found that eating two and a half ounces of almonds each day is more effective at lowering LDL cholesterol and raising HDL cholesterol, than a whole wheat muffin containing the same amount of fiber and fat. The benefits continuing as it has been shown that when almonds are consumed with other healthy foods, such as whole grain, fruits and vegetables, LDL cholesterol levels drop significantly after only two weeks.

Almond consumption also provides protection against heart disease. When almonds are substituted for simple carbohydrates, in the average diet, the result is a thirty percent reduction in the risk of heart disease. When almonds are substituted for meat and dairy products, there is a forty five percent reduction in the risk of heart disease.

Almonds provide another benefit in the prevention of diabetes and heart disease.This is because almonds prevent blood sugar surges that lead to cholesterol damaging free radicals. While, almonds also appear to have the ability to help prevent these surges, they also work to provide antioxidants to deal with the free radicals that do form during changes in blood sugar.

Adding almonds to you diet could not be easier.They can be used in baked goods, added to salads, or side dishes, or enjoyed just out of hand as a nutrient filled and beneficial snack.