Almonds contain vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber, and so they may offer a number of health benefits. Just a handful of almonds — approximately 1 ounce — contains one-eighth of a person’s daily protein needs.
People can eat almonds raw or toasted as a snack or add them to sweet or savory dishes. They are also available sliced, flaked, slivered, as flour, oil, butter, or almond milk.
People call almonds a nut, but they are seeds, rather than a true nut.
Almond trees may have been one of the earliest trees that people cultivated. In Jordan, archaeologists have found evidence of domesticated almond trees dating back some 5,000 years.
Benefits of almonds
1) Almonds and cholesterol
Almonds are high in fat, but it is unsaturated fat. This type of fat does not increase the risk of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol.
In moderation, the American Heart AssociationTrusted Source (AHA) note that unsaturated fats may improve a person’s blood cholesterol status.
In addition, almonds contain no cholesterol.
A studyTrusted Source from 2005 suggests that consuming almonds may:
- increase vitamin E levels in the plasma and red blood cells
- lower overall cholesterol levels
According to these researchers, vitamin E is an antioxidant that can help stop the oxidization process that causes cholesterol to clog the arteries.
2) Almonds and cancer risk
A 2015 study looked at nut consumption and cancer risk.
The authors identified a two to three times lower risk of breast cancer among individuals who consumed higher quantities of peanuts, walnuts, and almonds, compared with those who did not.
They concluded that “peanuts, walnuts, and almonds appear to be a protective factor for the development of breast cancer.”
3) Almonds and heart disease
Almonds, along with other nuts and seeds, may help improve lipid, or fat, levels in the blood. This can benefit heart health.
In a study from 2014, scientists found that almonds significantly increased the levels of antioxidants in the bloodstream, reduced blood pressure, and improved blood flow. The participants were all healthy males from 20–70 years of age who took 50 g of almonds per day for 4 weeks.
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