You may not think much about almonds – they are a great snack, and we know they are a kind of nut, and they go great with chocolate or other forms of sweets – but the truth is that the wonderful almond is much more than that. In fact, the almond has the power to significantly improve our health in many ways. Most of us don’t think about it, but research has made a lot of progress and has shown us why we should be eating a lot more almonds than we do now. Just in case you’re wondering why, here’s a short list of the top five benefits of almonds you should know about.
What’s in an almond?
We know what an almond is – but what’s actually in one? Here are some interesting facts.
For one fourth of a cup of almonds, you can expect:
- About 200 calories
- 16 milligrams of vitamin E
- 97 milligrams of magnesium
- 172 grams of phosphorous
- 96 milligrams of calcium
- Many other important substances such as iron, manganese, riboflavin, and other substances that drastically improve health.
Top five benefits
There are many benefits to the almond, and they can’t all be listed – but here are the most important ones:
Preventing heart disease – if you want to prevent heart disease, two substances are very important. The first is mono-unsaturated fatty acids, and the second is a dose of antioxidants. Almonds supply both, especially the latter, which means they are an excellent food to take when your heart is at risk, or when you are struggling with the wrong kind of cholesterol intake.
Healthy brain function – almonds, along with other foods such as certain kinds of fish are considered brain food, because they are proven to increase brain activity. The active substances have proven to increase activity whilst reducing disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Great skin – Your skin is going to love it due to the vitamin E and other compounds that fight skin cancer.
Blood sugar control – Great news for those fighting diabetes; almonds help regulate blood sugar and prevent insulin resistance.
Weight loss – Almonds help support a healthy metabolism, which makes you burn your energy faster (hence, lose more weight).
These are not the only benefits you get from almonds, of course – there are many more. Almonds also help in increasing digestive health, for example, because they contain probiotic components that can help with digestion. Furthermore, the humble nut helps fight cancers and inflammations. They also help fight dental problems and promote bone health due to their magnesium and phosphorous content. The benefits of the almond are countless – we should all make it part of our diet, whether it’s through eating them as is, through sweets, or – best of all – through healthy and natural almond nut butters such as Pip and Nut Butter.
