One ounce snack of almonds everyday can help you lose weight

Published by weightlossguru | Filed under Diet Tips, Healthy Diet, Weight Loss Guide

According to a study released by the Almond Board of California, which will be published in the British Journal of Nutrition’s September issue, individuals who eat almonds regularly tend to weigh less than individuals who don’t regularly eat almonds even though more calories are consumed daily.

In the study, 20 women (most of whom were overweight), were instructed to consume 344 calories worth of almonds (a little over 2 ounces) daily for a period of 10 weeks and then eat their normal daily diets for a period of ten weeks. The study reported that the women had no significant weight gain during the time they consumed almonds.

Because they ate almonds, they met the daily recommendations of high magnesium and vitamin E content.

The researchers found that the daily intake of almonds replaced other foods in their normal daily diet which made the participants feel satisfied as well as decreasing the amount of total carbohydrate intake.

The researchers reported that the fiber available in almonds may block some of the fat content in almonds.

The study’s co-author and R.D. from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, Rick Mattes, Ph.D., said that according to the data, eating one to three daily ounces of almonds helps lower LDL cholesterol levels and does not contribute to weight gain.

In the study, another control group was instructed to eat their regularly daily diet with no almonds. Both groups (the ones who ate almonds along with their daily diet and the ones who did not), took a break for a period of three weeks and then switched so that the first group didn’t eat almonds with their daily diet and the second group ate almonds with their daily diet.

The study included data that measured physical activity, metabolic rates and body weight. The assessment was performed by measuring blood levels of vitamin E and diet records. Almonds increase the level of vitamin E in the blood.

An extra 77 calories were consumed when the individuals ate the daily 344 calories worth of almonds.

The researchers reported that the calories from the almonds compensated for the consumption of other foods, and provided an increase in resting energy expenditure as well as an overall increase in energy expenditure.

According to the 2005 notes from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Americans don’t meet the daily recommendations for magnesium and vitamin E. The study reported that eating almonds leads to significant increases in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat as well as magnesium, vitamin E and copper.

Facts about Almond:
The almond (Prunus dulcis, syn. Prunus amygdalus, or Amygdalus communis) is a small deciduous tree belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae; an almond is also the fruit of this tree. The plant is classified with the peach in the subgenus Amygdalus within Prunus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell.

The sweet fleshy outer covering of other members of Prunus, such as the plum and cherry, is replaced by a leathery coat called the hull, which contains inside a hard shell the edible kernel, commonly called a nut in culinary terms. However, in botanical terms, an almond is not a true nut. In botanical parlance, the reticulated hard stony shell is called an endocarp, and the fruit, or exocarp, is a drupe, having a downy outer coat. The tree is a native of southwest Asia. The domesticated form can ripen fruit as far north as the British Isles. It is a small tree, growing to 4–9 m tall. The leaves are lanceolate, 6–12 cm long, and serrated at the edges. The flowers are white or pale pink, 3–5 cm diameter with five petals, produced before the leaves in early spring.

Other Possible Health Benefits:
Edgar Cayce, a man regarded as the father of American holistic medicine, also highly favored the almond. In his readings, Cayce often recommended that almonds be included in the diet. Claimed health benefits include improved complexion, improved movement of food through the colon and the prevention of cancer. Recent research associates inclusion of almonds in the diet with elevating the blood levels of high density lipoproteins and of lowering the levels of low density lipoproteins.

In Ayurveda, the Indian System of Medicine, almond is considered a nutritive for brain and nervous system. It is said to induce high intellectual level and longevity. Almond oil is called Roghan Badam in both Ayurveda and Unani Tibb (the Greco-Persian System of Medicine). It is extracted by cold process and is considered a nutritive aphrodisiac both for massage and internal consumption. Recent studies have shown that the constituents of almond have anti-inflammatory, immunity boosting, and anti-hepatotoxicity effects

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