Almond consumption may improve cardiovascular disease risk factors, gut microbiome and much more
A study published recently in Nutrients provides a systematic and updated perspective on the benefits of almond consumption for cardiovascular health and the gut microbiome.
The authors conducted a comprehensive review of studies investigating the effects of almond consumption on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and gut health. According to their findings, regular intake of almonds has been shown to improve lipid profiles by reducing low-density lipoprotein (“bad”) cholesterol and enhancing the functionality of high-density lipoprotein (“good”) cholesterol. Additionally, their findings showed that almonds aid in glycemic control, blood pressure reduction and chronic inflammation amelioration. Research has also shown that the antioxidant properties of almonds help in reducing oxidative stress markers. Moreover, almonds have been shown to positively influence body composition by enhancing satiety and reducing body fat percentage and central adiposity. Finally, almond consumption appears to modulate the gut microbiome, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria and increasing short-chain fatty acid production.
The authors concluded that the current evidence suggests that almonds may improve certain CVD risk factors and benefit gut microbiome composition.
The Almond Board of California provided funding for this study.
Singar, S., Kadyan, S., Patoine, C., Park, G., Arjmandi, B., & Nagpal, R. (2024). The Effects of Almond Consumption on Cardiovascular Health and Gut Microbiome: A Comprehensive Review. Nutrients, 16(12), 1964.