What happens if there are almonds every day

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

If you know when to stop, nuts will help you lose weight, make your skin smooth, and your hair thick and shiny.

Essential fatty acids, antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals are what you get with one of the most popular nuts in the world. But there is also a downside.

Why are almonds useful?

1. Slows down aging and reduces the risk of serious diseases

This effect is achieved due to the high content of antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that fight free radicals that damage organ and tissue molecules (a process called oxidative stress). Modern medicine believes that it is free radicals that provoke accelerated aging, the development of internal chronic inflammation and such dangerous diseases as cancer, brain dysfunctions, and cardiovascular disorders.

There are also enough antioxidants in the nut itself. But most of all are in its brown peel Polyphenols and antioxidant properties of almond skins: influence of industrial processing.

Therefore, the healthiest way to consume almonds is to eat the kernels along with the skins.

How many almonds should be eaten in order to obtain the optimal amount of antioxidants has not yet been established. There are only a few studies. For example, in one of them, conducted with the participation of 60 male smokers, scientists discovered Almond consumption reduces oxidative DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in male smokers. that about 80 grams of almonds per day reduce oxidative stress by 23-34%.

2. Almonds maintain skin smoothness and firmness

Almonds are one of the best sources of the “youthful vitamin” of tocopherol (aka vitamin E). Just 28 grams of nuts provides Nuts, almonds [Includes USDA commodity food A256, A264] 37% of the RDA.

Vitamin E is simply irreplaceable for the skin. The role of vitamin E in normal and damaged skin. It helps her resist environmental influences and prevents early wrinkles.

Manganese should be noted separately: in the same 28 grams of nuts, it contains up to 32% of the recommended daily value. And this element plays a key role in the production of collagen - the main building protein of the skin.

3. It helps control blood sugar levels

Magnesium is responsible for this bonus, which is also sufficient in almonds. 50 grams of nuts provide approximately half the daily value of this mineral.

Magnesium participates in the role of magnesium in clinical biochemistry: an overview in more than 300 processes in the body. This includes maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.

As the statistics show The effect of magnesium supplementation in increasing doses on the control of type 2 diabetes, up to 38% of people with type 2 diabetes suffer from magnesium deficiency. Oral magnesium supplementation improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic control in type 2 diabetic subjects: a randomized double-blind controlled trial to lower blood glucose levels and increase insulin sensitivity. The role of dietary supplements is easily performed by almonds.

4. Reduces blood pressure

The lack of the same magnesium, doctors associate Potassium, magnesium, and calcium: their role in both the cause and treatment of hypertension with the development of hypertension. If you take magnesium in addition - at least in the form of nuts - it can lower the pressure.

5. Almonds lower the level of "bad" cholesterol

Cholesterol is different: "bad" (included in the composition of low density lipoprotein - LDL) and "good" (in the composition of high density lipoprotein - HDL). If “good” is necessary, then “bad” is downright dangerous: it seriously increases the risk of cardiovascular problems. A high level of LDL is said when its concentration in the blood exceeds 190 mg / dL. Almonds can reduce risks.

As shown by the 16-week study Almond consumption and cardiovascular risk factors in adults with prediabetes, involving 65 people with prediabetes, eating 50 grams of nuts daily reduced the level of "bad" cholesterol by an average of 12.4 mg / dL. Other experience Effects of daily almond consumption on cardiometabolic risk and abdominal adiposity in healthy adults with elevated LDL-cholesterol: a randomized controlled trial confirms these data. For those who ate about 40 grams of almonds each day, their LDL cholesterol decreased by 5.3 mg / dL. And they also lost deposits in the abdomen - the most dangerous type of fat, visceral.

6. Helps control weight

Everyone knows that nuts are high in calories, and they really are. 28 grams of almonds, which is only 14-15 kernels, contain more than 160 kcal. But this calorie content is not related to weight gain.

This is due to two factors. Firstly, some of the fat contained in almonds is not absorbed: it is not affected by digestive enzymes. Secondly, there is a lot of fiber in the nut: once it gets into the stomach, it swells and creates a feeling of satiety, which lasts a long time. A handful of almonds, that is, not too significant 160 calories, can really be full. This reduces the risk of overeating.

Tip: To make fiber more available to the body, soak almonds in water overnight.

Some research suggests even nicer things. For example, the fact that eating nuts causes the body to spend more energy at rest. Those who regularly eat almonds lose weight more easily and faster than others.

7. It makes hair stronger and shinier

Almonds contain vitamins, minerals and trace elements needed to improve hair condition. For example, the same vitamin E makes Effects of Tocotrienol Supplementation on Hair Growth in Human Volunteers thicker, faster hair growth and even helps with various types of baldness.

8. Almonds strengthen memory and improve brain health

The nut contains a lot of essential omega-3 fatty acids - in particular, alpha-linolenic. In combination with antioxidants, omega-3 takes care of brain health: improves memory, normalizes cognitive functions, protects against the development of all kinds of disorders - the same depression.

How and to whom can almonds harm?

If you eat more than a handful of two almonds a day without following certain safety rules, you may experience the following side effects.

1. Constipation

Fiber, which is rich in almonds, sometimes leads to Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms to constipation and other gastrointestinal problems: bloating, stomach cramps, diarrhea. To prevent this from happening, make sure you drink enough water in addition to the nuts you eat.

2. Deficiency of iron, zinc, calcium

Phytic acid, which almonds contain, is a very useful antioxidant. But it also has a side effect: it binds iron, zinc and calcium and prevents them from being absorbed. As a result, the body may not receive these minerals.

To reduce the risks, consume almonds as a standalone snack between meals. Then the nut will not have a negative effect on the absorption of nutrients.

3. Weight gain

Almonds help control weight. But if you use it too much - more than a handful or two a day, and even combine it with high-calorie meals and low physical activity, an increase in body weight is inevitable.

4. Allergy

Some of the proteins found in almonds (such as amandine) have been listed by WHO as a potential food allergen. This means that people who are prone to allergic reactions need to be careful with nuts.

Eating almonds can provoke reactions affecting the mouth: itching in the mouth and throat, swelling of the tongue, mouth and lips. In some cases, it even leads to deadly anaphylactic shock.

5. Kidney stones

Almonds are rich in oxalates, salts of oxalic acid that can contribute to the formation of kidney stones. Moreover, these oxalates, in scientific terms, have a high bioavailability Renal Failure due to Excessive Intake of Almonds in the Absence of Oxalobacter formigenes: the body absorbs them almost completely.

If you have any kidney problems, limit your intake of almonds. And if possible, consult your doctor about this.

6. Poisoning

Almonds contain hydrocyanic acid. Bitter has 40 times more Potential Toxic Levels of Cyanide in Almonds (Prunus amygdalus), Apricot Kernels (Prunus armeniaca), and Almond Syrup than sweet. But ordinary sweet varieties also carry a certain risk.

Hydrocyanic acid can lead to breathing problems, suffocation and even death. Pregnant and lactating almonds should be abandoned altogether. It is important for everyone else not to abuse the nut: to get the maximum benefit and minimum harm, 50 grams of almonds per day will be enough for you.