The health benefits of almonds are no secret and have been hailed for centuries for their brain, hair, and skin-boosting properties. As a rich source of healthy fatty acids that help lower cholesterol and triglycerides, almonds also help lower blood sugar, and their plentiful resource of Vitamin E helps prevent heart diseases, ageing and cancer.
However, there is a right way and a wrong way to consume any food item. To know the best way to consume almonds and catapult their benefits, the team of OnlyMyHealth spoke to Pooja Shah Bhave, Consultant Clinical Dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator.
Eating Almonds Before Bedtime
Eating almonds right before bedtime can help boost sleep, shared Bhave citing a study conducted by the Tehran University of Medical Sciences. “In the study, 343 medical students with insomnia were given 10 almonds daily for 2 weeks. Almost 35 students showed improved sleep, and their insomnia was resolved within 2 weeks.”
Listing a set of reasons why the best time to eat almonds is before bedtime, Bhave listed:
- Almonds contain a high amount of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the circadian rhythm and initiate the sleep cycle.
- They are also rich in calcium and magnesium which are important minerals in muscle relaxation and sleep.
- Magnesium and healthy fatty acids present in almonds help lower inflammation which eventually helps in quality sleep.
- Magnesium also reduces the stress hormone cortisol which can affect your sleep.
- Almonds contain a good amount of tryptophan, an amino acid which is a precursor of the happy hormone serotonin. Serotonin is important for reducing stress and inducing sleep.
The Best Way To Eat Almonds
“Almonds can be taken at any time during the day for its overall effect, but people with insomnia or disturbed sleep should take almonds 30 minutes before sleeping,” suggested Bhave.
She added, “It is always best to keep a gap of a maximum of four hours and a minimum of two hours between dinner and sleep for quality sleep. Also while you are taking almonds to improve your sleep you should not take foods that will disturb the sleep at the same time, such as tea, coffee, fizzy drinks, energy drinks, chocolates and foods high in stimulants like caffeine or tobacco.”
Bhave also recommended avoiding a heavy meal at least one hour before sleeping.
Also Read: The Dark Side of Night Owls: Sleeping Late Can Put You At Risk Of Early Death And Chronic Diseases
How Many Soaked Almonds To Eat In A Day?
Bhave recommended, “You can eat about six to eight almonds daily to have a good effect on not just sleep but overall health.” She added, “Almonds can be consumed dry but by soaking them the nutrients present in almonds are absorbed in a better way. Almonds contain anti-nutrient phytates which hamper nutrient absorption of vitamins and minerals. This phytate content can be reduced by soaking almonds.”
Bhave concluded that you should always consume non-salted nuts as salt can disrupt the sleep cycle, and can have other negative effects on health. She also advised against roasting almonds as the melatonin content of almonds may decrease with roasting.