Nuts have a reputation for being high-fat foods which make people gain weight. As a result, many people feel like they don’t want them anywhere near their diet. This is because no one wants such food in their healthy diet. The moment food starts making people gain weight, it becomes enemy number 1. But these are not all the facts. Some nuts, particularly almonds, can play a key role in maintaining good health. Here are the 5 reasons for eating almonds.
Reasons for eating almonds
Protects you from chronic degenerative diseases
Research shows that diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains are associated with lower risks of chronic degenerative diseases. The common cause of most chronic degenerative diseases is oxidative stress. Therefore plant-based foods are rich in antioxidant compounds that can protect you from chronic degenerative diseases.
Almonds contain several antioxidant compounds which include vitamin E and polyphenols. These antioxidants in almonds can help you improve your body’s antioxidant defence mechanisms. And this helps in minimising the dangers and effects of oxidative stress. As a result, your risk of getting chronic degenerative diseases decreases.
In short, making almonds part of your balanced diet can improve your intake of antioxidants. This protects your body and tissues from the damaging effects of oxidative stress. And your risks of suffering from degenerative diseases are reduced.
Refined, processed and super refined foods in your diet are the main sources of oxidative stress.
A good food for fighting inflammation: a reason for eating almonds
Inflammation is a critical component in the progression of several chronic diseases. These include cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Almonds are a good source of anti-inflammatory compounds. And studies show that the Mediterranean diet is rich in foods high in monounsaturated fatty acids like almonds. And these monounsaturated fatty acids have beneficial effects on fighting inflammation. Eating a diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids food sources can help you reduce and fight inflammation in your body.
This ability of almonds to fight inflammation greatly reduces your risk of getting chronic diseases.
Also read: Are almonds good for you?
Reduces risks of getting cardiovascular diseases
The saying that almonds are heart-loving is a bit misleading. It is usually a marketing ploy by marketers to say monounsaturated fatty acids in almonds are good for your heart health. The heart-healthy benefits of almonds come as a result of interactions between different compounds.
Studies show that eating almonds have dose-dependent reactions to cardiovascular disease risks. And there is a lot of strong evidence linking eating almonds with their heart-protective effects.
Tree nuts like almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts have highly favourable fatty acid profiles. This means that they are rich in healthy fats. And they are also rich in other phytonutrients that have beneficial effects on your cardiovascular health. The interaction between these compounds helps in reducing your cardiovascular health risks.
If you supplement your diet with tree nuts like almonds, your risk factors for several chronic diseases are greatly reduced. Tree nuts like almonds help in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, blood glucose problems, blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.
Eat your almonds regularly as part of a healthy diet to reduce cardiovascular risks. And this also helps to improve your heart health in general. Eating almonds as a part of a healthy diet lowers your blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. A 28 g a day serving of almonds in a healthy diet reduces cholesterol and promotes heart health.
The healthy fatty acid profile of almonds is the major component behind their heart-healthy properties.
Let them help you manage your weight
Several epidemiological studies show that those who eat nuts like almonds frequently have low BMI. Almonds are rich in dietary fibre and protein. And in addition to this, they also have a low glycemic index. This is due to their low carbohydrate content. All these dietary properties give them a high satiety level.
Eating almonds as part of a healthy diet, therefore, helps you in suppressing appetite and increasing satiety. Therefore, eating these tree nuts can help you reduce your portion size and meal frequency. And this is beneficial to weight management efforts.
Most of the energy in almonds comes from fats. And studies that there is malabsorption or impairment in the absorption of almond fats or energy. This helps in reducing their overall contribution to energy intake whilst increasing their contribution to satiety. A moderate-fat diet containing nuts like almonds can help you lose more weight than a low-fat high carbohydrate diet.
In short, almonds in a healthy diet increase satiety and reduce appetite. This ensures that you eat less frequently and in smaller portions. And this is can help your weight management diet.
Be protected from oxidative stress
Oxidative stress and inflammation are key factors in the development and progression of chronic diseases. Therefore foods rich in compounds that reduce inflammation and oxidative stress can help reduce the negative effects.
Almonds are among the richest food sources of vitamin E. And vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant vitamin that protects the body from oxidative damage. Many people fail to meet their daily vitamin E intake. So, they cannot make use of this vitamin’s protective effects against oxidative stress.
Almonds as part of a healthy balanced diet can help you in fighting oxidative damage to tissues and organs.
These nuts also contain a plethora of other antioxidant compounds. These include phenolic compounds, flavonoids and polyphenols. And all these phytonutrients promote health and help prevent the development and progression of chronic diseases. They do this by fighting oxidative stress and oxidative damage to your body.
Almonds contain many antioxidant compounds that help fight oxidative stress and damage. Oxidative damage and stress are major contributors to ageing and the prevalence of chronic diseases.
Antioxidants in almonds can also help you clean your skin by removing toxins and neutralising their effects. They also protect your skin from the free radicals generated by UV radiation from the sun.
This is one of the best reasons for eating almonds in a healthy diet.
Conclusions on reasons for eating almonds
These are not the only reasons for eating almonds. However, let’s also note that the tree nuts are not for everyone. You must not eat almonds if you are allergic to nuts or peanut butter. Please also avoid eating almonds if you have problems with your kidneys and gallbladders. This is because almonds are rich in compounds called oxalates. These oxalates may cause kidney and bladder problems. In addition, before making almonds part of your healthy diet make sure that they do not interfere with any medication you are taking.