The health benefits of nuts cannot be touted enough; from lessening the risk of cardiovascular disease, to being one of the healthiest sources of protein for a balanced diet. A variety of nuts is a great addition to your snack list and it only takes a handful each day to see the health benefits. Almonds are the star of the show in this article and studies have proven that up to just 15 almonds a day can help keep you out of the doctor’s office.
So why are almonds so great for your health?
Almonds contain a wide variety of healthy goodness, such as, the above mentioned protein, fiber, 32% of the recommended daily requirement of vitamin E, plus monounsaturated fats, which are the healthy fats your body needs. A daily intake of almonds can be consumed in many ways in order to gain the benefits they offer. You can simply have them as a snack, in a healthy trailmix with dark chocolate and other nuts, on top of your cold cereal or oatmeal, even as a delicious topping for your morning pancakes.
While you’re enjoying the taste of almonds in your your favorite recipes. here are a few reasons why a handful of almonds a day should be a priority in your life.
What 15 Almonds Every Day Can Do to Your Health:
Antioxidants
Antioxidants protect our bodies from free radicals, which cause many of the unhealthy conditions during the aging process, such as cancer. Almonds are an important source of these health promoting antioxidants.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant. It protects our cells from oxidative stress, which is one of the things that cause disease. As our cells are layered with the vitamin E from almonds, our risk of heart attack and cancers are lessened.
Helps Hypertension
The magnesium in almonds help to decrease the chances of having hypertension and also decreases the chronic symptoms that sometimes comes with living with high blood pressure. Since the magnesium in almonds help to decrease hypertension, this also lowers the risk of strokes, which are often caused by living with severe high blood pressure.
Remember that almonds can also be a delicious addition to many dishes; from the crunchy topping of a tuna salad, to muffins and homemade breads. If you’d rather eat them by themselves; almonds can be roasted, eaten right out of the shell, or in combination with raisins and other mixed nuts as a nighttime snack.