Heart diseases have been on a rise and experts say that there is no better way to prevent them than having a handful of almonds every day. Apparently, almonds can reduce the risk of heart diseases by keeping the blood vessels healthy.
Researchers from Aston University, UK, found that almonds increase the amount of antioxidants in the blood stream and thereby, reduced blood pressure and improved the flow of blood. These findings add some weight to the theory that Mediterranean diets have lots of nuts with a load of health benefits. The study was led by Professor Helen Griffiths, Professor in Biomedical Sciences and Executive Dean of the School of Life and Health Sciences at Aston University.
Researchers also tested the effects of a short-term almond-enriched diet on health, young and middle-aged men as well as on a group of young men who had cardiovascular risk factors including having a high blood pressure or being overweight.
For the study, a control group ate what they normally would, while another group consumed snacks of 50g of almonds a day for a month. By the end of the study period, the group that was eating an almond-enriched diet had higher levels of antioxidants in their blood stream. They also saw an improvement in their blood flow and lower blood pressure that potentially reduce their risk of heart disease.
Almonds have a range of beneficial substances like vitamin E and healthy fats and fibre that increase the sense of fullness as well as flavonoids which may have antioxidant properties.
The team of researchers believes that it is likely to be the combination of all the nutrients working together to create overall health benefits rather than just one particular nutrient in isolation.
Article source: Economic Times
Image source: Getty
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