Of all the things to love about almonds, this one should really get your heart pumping: Just a handful of almonds a day provides several key nutrients that contribute to cardiovascular health including the essential fat linoleic acid, and the essentilal nurients magnesium and calcium. And that's good news for just about everyone as cardiovascular disease holds its spot as the leading cause of death among men and women in the EU.
California Almonds are rich in nutrients and cholesterol-free, making them a deliciously tempting option for smarter meals and snacks. And research shows that several nutrients in almonds can help support a healthy heart, including the essential fat, linoleic acid.1 Linoleic acid is a healthy polyunsaturated fat that can help maintain normal blood cholesterol levels.
EU guidelines3 demonstrate that almonds are a naturally high source of other additional nutrients that may help support heart health including calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E.
1. Linoleic acid claim: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/scdocs/doc/1276.pdf
Magnesium claim: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/de/scdocs/doc/1216.pdf
Calcium claim: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/scdocs/doc/1210.pdf
2. A handful of almonds (approximately 28 g) contains ~3.4 g of linoleic acid, which is more than 15% of the proposed labeling reference intake value of 10 g linoleic acid per day. Therefore, almonds qualify for the normal blood cholesterol claim associated with linoleic acid content.
3. Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20th December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods. Official Journal of the European Union 18.1.2007, L 12/3.
The Studies
Results from multiple clinical studies over the past two decades show the impact almonds have on cholesterol and heart health. Please see a summary of these studies below:
- Study 1: Effect of a diet high in monounsaturated fats from almonds on plasma cholesterol and lipoproteins. Published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 1992. Spiller GA, et al. Click here.
- Study 2: Nuts and plasma lipids: an almond-based diet lowers LDL-C while preserving HDL-C. Published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 1998 Spiller GA, et al. Click here.
- Study 3: Almonds and almond oil have similar effects on plasma lipids and LDL oxidation in healthy men and women. Published in The Journal of Nutrition, 2002. Hyson DA, et al. Click here.
- Study 4: Dose response of almonds on coronary heart disease risk factors: blood lipids, oxidized low-density lipoproteins, lipoprotein(a), homocysteine, and pulmonary nitric oxide: a randomized, controlled, crossover trial. Published in Circulation, 2002. Jenkins DJ, et al. Click here.
- Study 5: Effects of diets enriched in almonds on insulin action and serum lipids in adults with normal glucose tolerance or Type 2 diabetes. Published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2002. Lovejoy JC, et al. Click here.
- Study 6: Serum lipid response to the graduated enrichment of Step 1 diet with almonds: a randomized feeding trial. Published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2003. Sabate JC, et al. Click here.
- Study 7: Effects of plant-based diets high in raw or roasted almonds, or almond butter on serum lipoproteins in humans. Published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2003. Spiller GA, et al. Click here.
- Study 8: Combined effects of a dietary portfolio of plant sterols, vegetable protein, viscous fiber, and almonds on LDL particle size. Published in The British Journal of Nutrition, 2004. Lamarche B, et al. Click here.
- Study 9: Almonds in the diet simultaneously improve plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations and reduce plasma lipids. Published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2005. Jambazian PR, et al. Click here.
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