Almonds have important benefits and properties, which is why they are ideal in diabetes, in growth, and against cardiovascular diseases. Discover all its qualities.
What are almonds?
The almond is the fruit of the sweet almond, that is, the edible seed of the fruit of this tree, known scientifically by the name of Prunus dulcis. It is an extremely bright white fruit, which is wrapped with a brown cover.
This fruit tends to be consumed as dry fruit, either fried and salted or raw, but we must not forget something fundamental: if we consume it fried its qualities would not be the same since it would have a high-fat content. Moreover, we will tend to convert a portion of food that is generally nutritious and healthy, into a less adequate one from a nutritional point of view. So, first, we can tell you that it is best to always consume raw or toasted almonds, but never fried. They give us incredible benefits for our health, especially when we consume them regularly and in small handfuls (so that their high caloric content does not obviously become a problem for our weight). We can enjoy them alone, in handfuls, or prepare delicious and nutritious recipes. In fact, they become the indispensable ingredient for a wide variety of desserts. Although with them we can also make the popular almond milk, a delicious and especially nutritious drink ideal for those who suffer from celiac disease, lactose intolerance, or even those who do not consume products of animal origin.
Not surprisingly, in addition to being certainly delicious and delicious nuts, almonds also have a number of benefits and very prominent properties for the health of people who tend to consume them regularly.
Of course, like many other nuts, you should take care of their consumption, since they provide a fairly high amount of calories that can help us to gain a few extra pounds.
10 Benefits & Properties Of Almonds
Almond is a food with a high protein richness and healthy fats, as well as a valuable source of essential nutrients for a healthy and balanced diet. Below are some of the more interesting benefits that are amazing.
1. High nutritional content
As we will see in the next section, almonds stand out for their high nutrient intake. Among other aspects, it stands out for its content in vitamins and minerals, as well as fats and fiber.
For example, among the most important vitamins, we can mention the presence of vitamins of group B (B1, B2, B3, B6, and folic acid) and vitamin E. While, among the minerals, the presence of potassium, magnesium, iron, and calcium.
Although they have many calories and therefore provide a lot of energy, we must not forget that their regular consumption is interesting thanks to their nutritional richness.
2. Antioxidant benefits
As you probably know, antioxidants are substances that protect our body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals, which contributes to cell aging and the appearance of certain diseases.
Did you know that almond shells are especially rich in antioxidants? These substances are especially useful when it comes to preventing the negative action of these free radicals, protecting our body and, above all, to protect cells from oxidative damage.
On the other hand, almonds provide vitamin E, a recognized vitamin with precisely antioxidant benefits.
3. Beneficial against diabetes
Almond becomes a very interesting dry fruit for people with diabetes, thanks to its high content of healthy fats, fiber and proteins, and its low intake of carbohydrates.
In addition, almonds are especially rich in magnesium, a mineral that, in addition to other important functions, helps control blood sugar levels.
If we take into account that people with type 2 diabetes usually have an inadequate intake of magnesium, almonds can be very useful, being suitable precisely in the prevention of metabolic syndrome and to lower glucose levels.
4. Fight against cholesterol
Almonds are rich in healthy fats, which among other functions, help lower elevated levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood while preventing oxidation of this type of cholesterol.
In addition, it helps maintain HDL cholesterol. In particular, they highlight their contribution to omega 6 and omega 9 essential fatty acids.
5. Boost heart health
Like most nuts, given that we are faced with heart-healthy food, almonds, therefore, become very beneficial nuts when it comes to taking care of our heart health, useful to prevent cardiovascular diseases and prevent heart disease.
6. Full of phosphorus very good for the brain
100 grams of almonds provide about 90 mg. phosphorus If we take into account that phosphorus is essential for the health of our neurons, in addition to improving cell exchange and improving the structural function of cell membranes, we find that almonds are tremendously good for the health of our brains.
7. Excellent amount of calcium good for your bones
On the other hand, 100 grams of almonds provide about 252 mg. of calcium Calcium, as you probably know, is an indispensable nutrient for the health of our bones.
But it is not only essential for our bones, but also for the health of our teeth, and also for proper growth. Therefore, it is very useful for our children to eat a handful of almonds and other nuts a day. Of course, if our children are young we must be careful and split them very well before giving them.
In addition to always being with them when they are going to consume them. The reason is that nuts, especially almonds and nuts, tend to be the foods that produce the most choking in young children.
8. Good source of fiber
As we explained very briefly at the beginning of this note, almonds also stand out for their contribution of fiber, an essential element for our intestinal health.
Therefore, eating a handful of almonds every day will help us improve our intestinal transit. In addition, fiber helps reduce cholesterol.
9. Ideals against hypertension
In addition to being suitable in case of high cholesterol and high triglycerides, did you know that almonds are also very interesting in case of high blood pressure (hypertension)? This is due to its potassium content, capable of regulating blood pressure.
10. High vegetable protein content
Almonds, like many other nuts, become an excellent source of plant-based proteins. So its consumption is very interesting for vegans and vegetarians. In fact, 100 grams of almonds provide almost 19 grams of protein.
Nutritional Qualities Of Almonds
From a nutritional point of view, almonds provide a lot of energy, thus becoming a dry fruit with a good caloric amount. In fact, 100 grams of almonds provide about 610 calories.
In any case, this does not mean that you have to become a problem either for our diet or for our weight. On the contrary: its incredible benefits make it a nutritionally excellent option, not only because of its high nutrient content but because of the different properties it provides. Of course, provided it is consumed on a regular basis and never in excess.
The almonds stand out from the outset for its high nutrient content. In them, for example, we find a lot of vitamins, minerals, proteins, water, fats, cellulose, and carbohydrates.
With regard to vitamins, we observe for example its content in vitamin E, A, D, C, PP, B1, and B2. While they also have minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, copper, zinc, manganese, and chlorine.
In what has to do with its fat content, two-thirds correspond to oleic acid, its consumption being very positive to help fight or prevent the onset of cardiovascular diseases, as well as to reduce high cholesterol levels.
We must not forget at this point that they also have omega-6 linoleic acid, a fatty acid certainly essential for the diet.
They also have water and fiber, so they are ideal – for example – to combat cases of constipation.
How Many Almonds Should I Eat Daily?
When it comes to enjoying the different benefits that almonds give us, a great option is to try to consume them daily, on a regular basis.
Of course, when faced with a dry fruit with high energy intake and therefore caloric (as in most cases with nuts), it is best to consume a handful of almonds a day, which is about 28 grams. And how many calories does this handful contribute? Only 161 calories