The study was a randomized, parallel-arm design with two intervention groups, almonds and control. Participants consumed control snacks (savory mini-muffins) providing 20% of their estimated energy requirement or almond snacks (also providing 20% of daily estimated energy requirements) which were weighed and packed in a daily portion for each subject.
 
Endothelial function, liver fat and secondary outcomes as markers of cardiometabolic disease risk were assessed at the beginning of the study and at the end. Results observed that almonds, compared with the control group, increased endothelium dependent vasodilation and decreased plasma LDL “bad” cholesterol concentrations.
 
So, the study concluded that whole almonds consumed as snacks markedly improved endothelial function, in addition to lowering bad cholesterol, in adults with risk of cardiovascular disease.
 
This study was funded by the Almond Board of California.
 
Dikariyanto, V., Smith, L., Francis, L., Robertson, M., Kusaslan, E., O'Callaghan-Latham, M., Palanche, C., D'Annibale, M., Christodoulou, D., … & Hall, W. L. (2020). Snacking on whole almonds for 6 weeks improves endothelial function and lowers LDL cholesterol but does not affect liver fat and other cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy adults: the ATTIS study, a randomized controlled trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition, nqaa100. 

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