A handful of health - Wellness & Lifestyle

By replacing foods that aren't particularly high in nutritional value with a daily handful of almonds, people with normal to moderately high cholesterol levels may be able to lower their cholesterol levels. In a study published last June in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers concluded it is likely the combination of nutrients uniquely found in almonds (e.g., vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, arginine and dietary fiber) incorporated into the highly effective National Cholesterol Education Program Step 1 diet (which restricts total fat intake to 30 percent, saturated fat to 10 percent and cholesterol to 300 milligrams per day) reduces cholesterol and cardiovascular disease risk.

"In addition to reducing LDL cholesterol, the high-almond diet also illustrated decreases in cardiovascular disease risk factors," says Joan Sabate, M.D., the study's lead author. "While the monounsaturated fats in almonds are beneficial for heart health, our research also found that other nutrients in almonds may reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors as well. For instance, almonds have a high concentration of the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E, an antioxidant associated with lower risk of heart disease." Almonds are also a good source of protein that is rich in arginine, a precursor to nitric oxide that is known to inhibit platelet adhesion. Almonds also contain dietary fiber, phytosterols and other phytochemicals that may have cardio-protective effects.

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