Benefits of Almonds

Almonds are eaten raw, used for culinary purposes, and are also used for making almond oil, almond butter and almond syrup. Nutritionists and dietitians often advise people to consume 4-5 almonds every day in order to have a healthy life. As they do not contain any fats, they are also safe for people on a diet. They are also easily available in different forms like salted, raw, blanched, shelled, unshelled, etc.

Health Benefits of Eating Almonds

• Raw almonds and almond oil is considered most effective for the brain. It helps in improving memory and concentration, especially in children. It is also believed to make children sharp and active.
• It helps in maintaining proper levels of cholesterol by increasing the level of HDL and decreasing the level of LDL. This helps in prevention of a majority of heart diseases.
• Including almonds in the diet helps in having a supple skin. On the other hand, applying almond oil directly on the skin also helps in having a smooth and healthy skin.
• Sweet almond oil benefits also include treatment and prevention of dry and cracked skin. This oil is also popularly applied to baby's skin.
• The mono saturated fats found in almonds are good for heart health. The mono saturated fats along with antioxidants also help in prevention of heart diseases.
• It helps in maintaining a proper blood pressure and indirectly helps in prevention of diseases caused due to high blood pressure.
• It contains folic acid, which is one of the most important nutrient to prevent birth defect in pregnancy. During pregnancy, consuming almonds can help in treating constipation
• The organic almond milk contain less amounts of calories and hence, can be consumed by people on a diet. Almond milk is also claimed to help in quick weight loss.
• There are also several benefits of almond oil for hair. It is used to treat dryness of hair and prevent it from being coarse and thereby, it stops hair fall.
• Lastly, prevention of cancer, diabetes, inflammation and stomach disorders are also some of the claimed uses of almonds.

Nutritional Facts of Almonds

Almonds are considered as whole foods as they contain sufficient amounts of calories, good amounts of essential nutrients, and fairly less amounts of fats.

• It contains high amounts of proteins. Proteins are essential for building tissues and muscles in the body and are also recommended for those planning to build muscle. Almonds are excellent sources of proteins for vegetarians.
• The nutrients found in almonds like copper, magnesium and the B vitamins like B1, B2 and B3 help in providing energy.
• Lastly, it also contains vitamin E which helps in boosting immunity and also helps in prevention of arthritis and bone diseases.
• The high levels of potassium and magnesium found in almonds also help in improving blood circulation in the body.
• They also contain good amounts of calcium which help in strengthening bones in the body.

As there are several uses and benefits, you should consider including almonds in your diet every day. But, they should be consumed in limited quantity. Lastly, one of the health tip is to eat almonds in raw, shelled form, either soaked or not, to gain all the health benefits. Take care!