Tried and tested benefits of eating almonds, backed by studies

The goodness and benefits of consuming almonds are not unknown. Since ages almonds are associated with boosting memory and are given to school going kids and teens both. They are also said to keep a check on cholesterol levels, aid digestion, improve skin texture, detoxify the body and also provide energy to the body. Apart from all this, here are some lesser-known benefits of almonds, according to different studies.

Heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of the fluctuation in time intervals between consecutive heartbeats. While a higher HRV represents greater adaptability of the heart in response to stress, while low HRV is linked to cardiovascular disease and sudden cardiac death.

• In a UK study, researchers at King’s College London divided two groups of people. One of the groups was given almonds while the other was given snacking substitutes.
• The researchers measured HRV in participants undergoing a mental stress challenge and saw improved measures of HRV in participants who had been replacing typical snacks with almonds over six weeks.
• During acute mental stress, participants in the almond group showed better heart rate regulation compared to the other group.
• The result - Eating almonds in place of typical snacks can diminish the drop in HRV that occurs during mental stress, thereby improving cardiac function.

Even though there are tons of creams, serums and other beauty products available to treat wrinkles, a common dry fruit too can help in the same. According to a new pilot study by researchers at the University of California, daily consumption of almonds might help in reducing wrinkle severity in postmenopausal women.

• The study included 28 healthy, postmenopausal women. The women were randomly assigned to either an intervention or a control group.
• Almonds were provided as 20 per cent of total daily calorie intake for the intervention group (340 calories/day on average).
• The control group consumed a calorie-matched nut-free snack in place of almonds daily: cereal bar, energy bar or pretzels.
• All participants were advised not to consume any nuts or nut-containing products throughout the study (except for the almond snack for the intervention group).
• After a four-week dietary wash-out period, participants were randomized to one of the two study groups detailed above.
• Study visits occurred at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks.
• The result was that by the end of the study at 16 weeks, photographic image analysis showed statistically significant improvement in wrinkles for participants in the almond snack group compared to the control group.

• This 6-week study too divided the participants into two different groups.
• One had almonds as a snacking option, which provided 20% of each participants’ estimated daily energy needs, while the other group was given other snacks.
• By the end of the study, it was seen that the bad cholesterol levels decreased in the almond group as compared to the other group.
• The result- Replacing typical snacks with almonds can have a positive impact on daily nutrient intake and potentially play a role in improving cardiovascular health.