After the end of the study period, the almond-enriched diet group had higher levels of antioxidants, along with improved blood flow and lower blood pressure, working to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Almonds are high in many nutrients and antioxidants. The researchers suggest that the combination of nutrients found in almonds is what makes them a superfood, when it comes to improving health.
Lead researcher Prof. Helen Griffiths said, “Our study confirms that almonds are a superfood. Previous studies have shown that they keep your heart healthy, but our research proves that it isn’t too late to introduce them into your diet – adding even a handful (around 50g) every day for a short period can help. You could replace a daytime snack with a bag of almonds or add them to your regular meals like porridge or muesli to help reduce your risk of heart problems.”
Eating handful of almonds may help improve a person’s diet quality: Study
An alternative study suggests that eating a handful of almonds may help improve a person’s diet quality. The data was collected from 28 parent-child pairs in North Central Florida.
Parents were instructed to consume 1.5 ounces of almonds everyday for three weeks, while their children consumed half an ounce of almonds or an equivalent amount of almond butter.
At the start of the study, the participants had their average Healthy Eating Index score evaluated. A score of below 51 is an indication of poor eating habits, a score between 51 and 80 means improvement is needed, and a score above 80 is ideal.
For parents, the scores started at 53.7 plus/minus 1.8 on average, and for children 53.7 plus/minus 2.6. After the almond intervention, scores for parents rose to 61.4 plus/minus 1.4, and for children 61.4 plus/minus 2.2. The results also showed a reduction in empty calories consumed and an increase in healthy fat intake.
Researcher Alyssa Burns explained, “The habits you have when you are younger are carried into adulthood, so if a parent is able to incorporate almonds or different healthy snacks into a child’s diet, it’s more likely that the child will choose those snacks later on in life. Some of the challenges that we saw were that the kids were getting bored with the almonds, or they didn’t like the taste of the almonds or the almond butter.” Burns suggests that parents must develop creative ways to implement healthy foods like almonds into their child’s everyday diet.
As you can see, the benefits of almonds are quite impressive, and that’s what makes them such a great daily snack. Almonds offer us many of the essential vitamins and minerals we need to stay healthy. Although the calorie count in almonds maybe high, enjoying them in moderation is enough for you to reap the benefits without the added calories.
You can eat almonds as a snack or add them to dishes, drink almond milk, or spread some almond butter across your morning toast. Regardless of the form, just know you’re doing your body good!
So the next time you’re on the go and have to grab a snack, we suggest some almonds. Not only will you feel full and satisfied, you’ll be taking in many of the nutrients your body needs to keep going.