Almonds have been linked with a number of health benefits and are regularly recommended as an addition to a healthy and balanced diet by dietitians. Almonds are also the most popular nuts in the United States. A favorite of dieters, in recent years almonds have become famous for their versatility and health benefits.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans’ demand for almonds has increased over 500% since 1980. In 2021, Americans ate an average of 2.46 pounds (1116 grams) of almonds each, an increase of about 35% from 2016.
There’s good reason for the love affair. “Almonds have been studied extensively for their benefits on heart health, diabetes, and weight management,” Jenny Heap, a registered dietitian with the Almond Board of California told Live Science. “The unique nutrient combination of almonds — plant-based protein, fiber and monounsaturated fats, plus key nutrients like vitamin E and magnesium — help make them a heart-healthy snack.”
A 2017 study published in Nutrition Journal found that Americans, especially children, who replaced snack foods with almonds or other tree nuts saw a major increase in consumption of nutrients. In the study of more than 17,000 children and adults, participants swapped all their snacks with almonds. Researchers found that participants consumed fewer empty calories, solid fats, sodium, saturated fats, carbohydrates and added sugars. Good oils and fats increased significantly, as did magnesium, fiber and protein by a small margin.
“Regular consumption of nuts has been related to healthy effects, especially against cardiometabolic diseases. Epidemiological studies and clinical trials have reported positive effects of nuts consumption against a significant number of pathologies such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. In addition, individuals who consume nuts regularly present lower waist circumference and improved metabolic profiles,” according to the peer-reviewed Nutrients journal.
Technically speaking, almonds are not true nuts at all. The edible part that we call a nut is actually a seed, and almonds themselves are drupes, according to the University of California Riverside‘s botany department. Sometimes called “stone fruits,” drupes are characterized by a tough rind surrounding a shell that holds a seed. Peaches and apricots, close cousins to the almond, are common examples of drupes. Like these relatives, almonds grow on beautiful, flowering trees and thrive in warm, dry climates.
The almond tree (Prunus dulcis), also related to cherries and plums, is native to Western Asia and Southern Europe. According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC), Spanish missionaries brought almonds to the New World, but the nut’s popularity did not rise until the 1900s. Today, the United States is the largest supplier of almonds in the world. California is the only state that produces almonds commercially in the United States, with 2.25 billion pounds of almonds produced in 2020, valued at $5.5 billion according to the AgMRC. California also accounts for 78% of the global supply.
HOW GOOD ARE ALMONDS FOR YOU?
“Ounce for ounce, almonds are higher in fiber, calcium, vitamin E, riboflavin and niacin than any other tree nut,” Heap told Live Science. “Every one-ounce serving (about 23 almonds) provides 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, plus vitamin E , magnesium, riboflavin, calcium and potassium. In addition, almonds are a low-glycemic index food.”
Like other nuts, almonds contain a fairly high amount of fat, with about 14 grams per one-ounce serving. Fortunately, about 80% of it is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, according to Harvard University.
A 2005 study published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that almonds pack the biggest nutritional punch if eaten whole, with their brown skins on (unblanched), rather than with their skins steamed off (blanched). The study identified 20 powerful antioxidant flavonoids in almond skin. Combined with the high vitamin E content in the meat of the almond, these flavonoids endow almonds with a unique nutritional package that may have implications for cholesterol levels, inflammation and more.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Heart
Probably almonds’ best-known quality is that they are good for your heart. “Nearly two decades of research shows that almonds can help maintain a healthy heart and healthy cholesterol levels,” said Heap. A 2009 article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) looked at the evidence on nut consumption and a variety of health issues. It noted that in four large-scale studies considered major in the field — the Iowa Women’s Health Study (1996), the Adventist Health Study (1992), the Nurses’ Health Study (1998) and the Physicians’ Health Study(2002) — nut consumption was linked to a lower risk for heart disease. Together, the studies showed an average reduction in the risk of death from heart disease by 37% , or “8.3 percent … for each weekly serving of nuts.”
“A growing body of evidence suggests that regularly choosing almonds in place of snacks high in refined carbohydrates is a simple dietary strategy to help support heart health,” said Heap. In another evidence review, published in 1999 in Current Atherosclerosis Reports, researchers looked at the Nurses’ Health Study and estimated that eating nuts instead of an equivalent amount of carbohydrates reduced heart disease risk by 30%. Substituting nuts for saturated fats, such as those found in meat and dairy products, resulted in a 45% estimated reduced risk.
Replacing almonds with saturated fats may also help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. A 1994 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutritionlooked at men with normal cholesterol levels and found that those who supplemented their diets with almonds for three weeks saw a 10% reduction in LDL levels.
