Importance of almonds for a healthy lifestyle

The Almond Board of California joined hands with the Diabetes Foundation of India, to see the benefits of almonds in managing lifestyle diseases. Professor Anoop Misra and actress Karisma Kapoor share their insights

21

Jan

2011

As part of an ongoing research the Almond Board of California (ABC) joined hands with the Diabetes Foundation of India, to see the benefits of almonds in managing lifestyle disease like diabetes. The results were interesting as it broke many myths and shed light on the importance of that multi-nutritious nut.

To know more about the nutritional benefits of the nut we caught up with Professor Anoop Misra, director, Diabetes Foundation (India), and Chairman, Fortis C-DOC Center of Excellence for Diabetes and Endocrinology and brand ambassador of ABC, Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor who highlighted the importance of almonds in ones diet.

Through a 5 year research the ABC and Diabetes Foundation of India have found ample evidence on how almonds helps keeps lifestyle diseases especially diabetes at bay. Professor Anoop Mishra says, “Scientist Jenkins, University of Toronto did a research where it was discovered that people in the Mediterranean regions suffer the least when it comes to the lifestyle diseases. The reason being their diet, as they consume a lot of nuts. Taking a cue from this research, we carried out a study wherein we managed one diabetic person with drugs and one with a combination of exercise and diet. The results were more positive in the latter.”

One third of India’s population suffers from obesity which leads to most lifestyle diseases. One of the reasons for this is the metabolic syndrome, ie the insulin levels in the body aren’t very good. The best strategy to overcome this is through a nutritious diet. When speaking of an ideal diet, we would talk about one which is low in calories, low in fat and high in fibre. Professor Misra says, “However, we can modulate our diet to make it better by adding a few almonds to it.”

Nutritional benefits
Stressing on the importance of nuts, Professor Misra says, “Though there are a number of nuts in the market, almonds are the most nutritious of them all. One ounce, ie, 23 almonds contains 164 calories and has 7gms of proteins, the highest amongst all the nuts. Protein is important as it satiates your hunger, hence decreasing your appetite and helps you control what you eat.”

Adding to the benefits he says, “With 4gms of fibre it is extremely fibrous and helps in lowering cholesterol and preventing certain cancers. Hence, to make the most of the fibre, one must have the almond as it is and not soak it or remove the skin. It has a great amount of Vitamin E which is a great anti-oxidant and helps combating diabetes and heart diseases. For women, especially pregnant and middle aged women it’s a boon due to its high calcium content, which is excellent for bone health.”

Dispelling the myth that almonds are fattening he goes on to say, “Almonds have 14gms of fat, but it must be noted that 70% of this fat is mono unsaturated fatty acids which is extremely good, and aids in weight loss and lowering cholesterol.”

Health benefits
Expanding on how almonds can be a great health benefit, Professor Misra mentions a few points.

“Incorporating almonds daily in your diet can lower cholesterol by 5%. It should be noted that 1% reduction in cholesterol equals two a 2% decrease in risks of heart diseases.
It improves ones metabolism and the level of insulin produced by the body thus leading to weight loss and managing diabetes effectively.
It is specially prescribed for diabetics as it prevents the rise of blood sugar levels.
Almonds help in developing strong bones and increasing the bone density.

Almonds prescription
On the number of almonds to be had Professor Misra says, “One must have at least 11 almonds per day whether they are suffering from diabetes, obesity or even if they are normal. However, since it is 164 calories, one must sit in consultation with their dietician and do away with something from their diet like a slice of bread, additional butter etc to make way for a healthier substitute – almonds.”

Celeb speak
It is important to have a healthy lifestyle, so grab a handful of almonds and it can really do you good, is what actress Karisma Kapoor believes. She further says, “Over generations we have been told by our parents to have almonds everyday, either soaked in honey or plain and told us that its good for the brain. Not only that it is extremely good for the skin, hair and bones as well.”

As a working mother, she believes it is a complete must have for women especially during their pregnancy, “Young mothers should eat almonds, it gives you the much required strength, which you require. Eating almonds every morning is one regime I have followed till date, and something which I felt was very important during my pregnancy. It has all the vitamins you need along with calcium, to make sure you feel rejuvenated and make your bones strong.”

Stressing on ingraining the habit since childhood she says, “When we are young we don’t realise the importance, but when you see old people with problems or face them yourself as you get older that’s when you will realise the importance of these small little diet changes.” And if you are tired of just munching on them Kapoor says, “To make it more interesting you can add it to your salad, or to your cereal and if you love sweets then in your gajar ka halwa and make it a nutritious dessert.”

With research still in progress, go ahead and grab your handful of this nutritious nut and better your lifestyle.

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