(Stock Photo) Recent studies support that a daily handful of almonds and other nuts, is a nutritious snack with heart-healthy benefits.
Almonds are all right
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FEBRUARY 06, 2006
By Happynews Staff

A one-ounce handful of almonds offers heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, the antioxidant vitamin E, protein, fiber, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and iron, all in 160 calories. In addition to their nutrition, almonds can play a role in heart health and weight maintenance.
In regard to heart health, for example:
* A study published in November in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) adds to the evidence for almonds' role in helping lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University studied the effect of changing the amount of carbohydrates, protein and unsaturated fat in the diet on blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Almonds were eaten as a snack in a high-protein diet and an unsaturated fat diet, but not included in a high-carbohydrate diet. The researchers discovered that the protein and unsaturated fat diets improved blood pressure and LDL, or "bad," cholesterol and total cholesterol levels more than the carbohydrate diet.
* A study published in July in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that eating a certain eating plan of heart-healthy foods including almonds not only lowered cholesterol levels, but also the level of c-reactive protein. The dietary approach, called the Portfolio Eating Plan, decreased these levels by 24 percent -- similar to the reduction achieved in the study by taking a first-generation statin drug (16 percent), without many of the pills' side effects.
* A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association last March confirms that eating almonds significantly increases vitamin E levels in the plasma and red blood cells and simultaneously lowers cholesterol levels. The study, conducted at Loma Linda University, was the first to demonstrate that eating almonds raises vitamin E levels in the bloodstream -- up to 19 percent after four weeks, among those who ate 20 percent of their calories as almonds. Participants in the study also reduced their total cholesterol by 5 percent and lowered their LDL or "bad" cholesterol by nearly 7 percent.
* A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last February showed that the same heart-healthy dietary approach including almonds, the Portfolio Eating Plan, was just as effective as first-generation statins in lowering LDL cholesterol below the recommended range for heart disease prevention. The study directly compared statins and the dietary approach for one month.
These heart-health studies add to the existing body of research, particularly significant in 2002 and 2003, on almonds' ability to lower cholesterol. The findings are also consistent with the recommendations of the National Cholesterol Education Program, which recommends people eat up to 20 percent of calories from monounsaturated fat from foods such as almonds, olive oil and avocados. (The program also recommends they choose no more than 10 percent of calories from polyunsaturated fats, particularly eating fish twice a week to obtain the two forms of omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA, which are more beneficial than the form of omega-3s found in nuts, seeds, and oils.)
In regard to almonds' role in weight maintenance and even weight loss:
* A study presented at last year's Experimental Biology conference in April indicates one reason for almonds' healthful benefits may be the way their nutrients are absorbed in the body. Researchers at Kings College in London found that almonds appear to help block absorption of carbohydrates, block their own fat from being absorbed, and improve satiety, which may be key mechanisms behind their heart-healthy, cholesterol-lowering and weight-maintenance capabilities.
* Another study presented at Experimental Biology last April showed that adding nearly two servings of almonds to one's existing diet had no effect on body weight or percentage of body fat. "We found it to be remarkable that participants naturally compensated for the added calories from almonds in their diet," said study author James Hollis, PhD, from Purdue University. "Our early hypothesis is that the fiber and protein found in almonds may contribute to greater satiety, which in turn helps people maintain their body weight."
These new weight-related studies add to a 2003 study in the International Journal of Obesity that showed adding a daily ration of almonds to a low-calorie diet enhanced weight loss, as well as significantly improved risk factors associated with heart disease, when compared to a low-fat, low-calorie diet. Researchers cited almonds' heart-healthy monounsaturated fat as being very satiating, helping satisfy the appetite and prevent patients from overeating.
Consumers can visit AlmondsAreIn.com for more information about almonds, or PortfolioEatingPlan.com for more information about the Portfolio Eating Plan.
The Almond Board of California administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. Established in 1950, the Board's charge is to promote the best quality almonds, California's largest tree nut crop.