Almonds and Heart Health Research Supports Almonds Ability to Lower Cholesterol

According to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition individuals who added almonds, a food independently known to Lower Cholesterol as a snack to their regular diet increased their overall intake of several important nutrients, and when combined with a healthy way of eating, the beneficial effects were additive.

In this study of 12 patients with elevated LDL Cholesterol Levels, ate a diet containing almonds and other nuts, plant sterols (also found in nuts), soy protein, and soluble fiber (in high amounts in beans, oats, pears) reduced blood levels of all LDL fractions including small dense LDL (the type that most increases risk for cardiovascular disease) with near maximal reductions seen after only 2 weeks.

In another study on Almonds and Heart health

The normal eating patterns of 43 men and 38 women were followed for 6 months. Then they were told to eat approximately 2 ounces or .25 cup of almonds daily but were given no other instructions about changing their diet, and followed it for an additional 6 months.

By the end of the study, a number of very beneficial changes were seen to naturally occur.

While eating almonds, study participants' intake of health-promoting monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, vegetable protein, vitamin E, copper and magnesium significantly increased by 42, 24, 12, 19, 66, 15, and 23%, respectively.

At the same time, their intake of trans fatty acids, animal protein, sodium, cholesterol and sugars significantly decreased by 14, 9, 21, 17 and 13%, respectively.

Both sets of changes in nutrient intake closely match the dietary recommendations known to prevent cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

Another Reasons for the Connection Between Almonds and Heart Health

In addition to their cholesterol-lowering effects, almonds' ability to reduce heart disease risk may also be partly due to the antioxidant action of the vitamin E found in the almonds, as well as to the LDL-lowering effect of almonds' monounsaturated fats.

(LDL is the form of cholesterol that has been linked to atherosclerosis and heart disease). When they are substituted for more traditional fats in human feeding trials, LDL cholesterol can be reduced from 8 to 12%.

In Addition to Their Cholesterol-Lowering Effects

In addition to healthy fats and vitamin E, a quarter-cup of almonds contains almost 98 mg of magnesium (that's 24.4% of the daily value for this important mineral), plus 258 mg of potassium.

Magnesium is Nature's own calcium channel blocker. When there is enough magnesium around, veins and arteries breathe a sigh of relief and relax, which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

Studies show that a deficiency of magnesium is not only associated with heart attack but that immediately following a heart attack, lack of sufficient magnesium promotes free radical injury to the heart.

Potassium, an important electrolyte involved in nerve transmission and the contraction of all muscles including the heart, is another mineral that is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function.

Almonds promote your cardiovascular health by providing 298 mg of potassium and only 0.4 mg of sodium, making them an especially good choice to in protecting against high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.

Almonds and Heart Health- An American Study Showed the Same Health Benefits

A study to be published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition provides more evidence that almonds are one of the most heart-healthy foods around.

The study found that when directly compared to first-generation statins, a certain heart-healthy dietary approach including almonds is just as effective in lowering LDL, or "bad," cholesterol below the recommended range for heart disease prevention.

The approach, known as the "Portfolio" eating plan because it includes a variety of heart-healthy foods, included foods such as oatmeal, beans, olive oil, soy products, and a daily one-ounce handful of almonds.

Researchers called almonds a "mini-Portfolio" because in and of themselves, they contain several components emphasized in the eating plan -- vegetable protein, fiber, plant sterols and other several heart-healthy nutrients.

Almonds are nutritionally dense -- a quality emphasized in the government's latest Dietary Guidelines.

They are the most nutritionally dense nut, whether compared calorie per calorie or ounce per ounce. The recently released Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 encourage Americans to choose nutritionally dense foods -- that is, to get the most nutrition possible out of the calories you eat.

A one-ounce, 164-calorie serving of almonds, or about a handful, is an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, and a good source of fiber. It also offers heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, protein, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and iron.

The study's researchers, from Loma Linda University in California, concluded that incorporating almonds into a diet may promote the natural displacement of less nutrient-dense foods, making the overall nutritional quality of the diet better.

Besides for the direct connection between almond and heart health It may help maintain or even lose weight

A recent study in the International Journal of Obesity found that 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.

Nuts do not have cholesterol and are a good source of protein, according to the American Heart Association. However, the association stresses that the potential benefits of nuts may be negated if they are added rather than substituted for other foods in the diet.

While nuts and seeds tend to be very high in fat and calories, most of the fat is polyunsaturated or monounsaturated (e.g. almonds, pecans, walnuts).

"This study suggests that replacing carbohydrates with monounsaturated fat - within the context of a diet that is low in saturated, trans fat and cholesterol - favorably affects cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk.

Almonds are a good source of monounsaturated fat and potentially other beneficial compounds.

Almonds and Heart Health The American Heart Association Recommendations

The American Heart Association recommends eating an overall balanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and includes low-fat dairy products, fish and lean meats.

Whenever any dietary change is made, care must be taken to avoid increasing total caloric intake.

They are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats as are found in olive oil, which have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease.

Five large human epidemiological studies, including the Nurses Health Study, the Iowa Health Study, the Adventist Health Study and the Physicians Health Study, all found that nut consumption is linked to a lower risk for heart disease.

Researchers who studied data from the Nurses Health Study estimated that substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrate in an average diet resulted in a 30% reduction in heart disease risk.

Researchers calculated even more impressive risk reduction--45%--when fat from nuts was substituted for saturated fats (found primarily found in meat and dairy products).