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Almonds for a healthy heart
Washington:
There is no substitute for almonds as a tonic
for your heart. New research on almonds has found
that dry fruits are especially good for the heart,
for not only do they happen to be high in several
types of antioxidants, but may also improve blood
sugar levels as well as play an important role in
a cholesterol lowering eating plan, researchers at
Tufts University have found. Researchers discovered
a one ounce serving of almonds or about a handful,
for instance, contains the same amount of antioxidants
as a serving of cooked broccoli or a serving of brewed
green or black tea.
"This
analysis of almond skin antioxidants sheds more light
on all the nutrients in almonds that may provide a
health benefit," says study author Jeffrey Blumberg,
Ph.D., director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory
at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center
on Aging and professor, Friedman School of Nutrition
Science and Policy at Tufts University. "These new
findings coupled with past results lay the groundwork
for future clinical trials that examine a link between
whole almond consumption and the reduced risk of heart
disease and other chronic conditions," he added. Researchers
also found that eating almonds may improve blood sugar
levels, which in a normal range can help to reduce
the risk of heart disease. Almonds are a food that
cannot only cause a minimal rise in blood sugar levels,
also known as low-glycemic, but also help to reduce
blood sugar levels following a carbohydrate based
meal. In another study published in the Journal of
Nutrition, researchers gave healthy men and women
four different test meals, each containing 50 grams
of carbohydrate. The control test meal contained white
bread. The second meal contained white bread and 60
grams of almonds. The third meal contained parboiled
rice, and the fourth meal contained instant mashed
potatoes. All meals were balanced for fat, protein
and calories. Blood sugar and insulin levels were
tested following each of the meals. Results showed
that subjects who ate the almond meal had significantly
lower rises in blood sugar and insulin levels afterwards.
Almonds play a key role in a cholesterol lowering
eating plan. A one year study showed that eating a
certain combination of heart- healthy foods, including
almonds, oatmeal, lean meats and fish can help reduce
LDL cholesterol, or "bad" cholesterol as much as a
cholesterol-lowering drug. This combination is called
the Portfolio Eating Plan. The study was published
in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN).
It builds off previous tightly controlled clinical
studies and was designed to answer the question of
what happens when people follow the Portfolio Eating
Plan in a real world setting for one year. For those
subjects who closely followed the eating plan, they
were able to lower their bad cholesterol levels by
more than 20 percent. Cholesterol reduction was even
seen in those subjects who followed the plan less
closely. Researchers noted that compliance for almonds
was high with a majority of patients eating a handful
of almonds a day.
Researchers
from Purdue University worked with 20 overweight women
having them eat two handfuls of almonds or about 300
calories worth. The researchers found that despite
including this amount of almonds, the subjects' weight
or body mass index did not change. "We concluded that
the women found their daily almond snack to be very
filling, and so they naturally compensated in their
caloric intake at other times of the day. This work
demonstrates that almonds are not only nutritious,
they can be satisfying - a good choice in place of
something less nutrient-rich and less filling, such
as pretzels or chips," said the lead researcher, Richard
Mattes, P.h.D, R.D. from Purdue University. A one-ounce,
160-calorie handful of almonds is an excellent source
of vitamin E and magnesium, a good source of protein
and fiber, and offers potassium, calcium, phosphorous,
iron, and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.
- January 14, 2007
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