(The base of our wonderful Biscottis)
Health Benefits:
- Lower LDL Cholesterol and Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
- Provides Protection against Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
- Vitamin E an excellent antioxidant.
- Monounsaturated fat This is the “good” kind of fat that your heart and arteries love — same type as found in olive oil.
- Protein A quarter cup of almonds has over seven grams of protein.
- Magnesium This important mineral helps your cardiovascular system to be more efficient, thus delivering more nutrients and oxygen to the body. It also protects the heart from free radical damage and acts as a natural channel blocker. One-fourth cup of almonds contains 99 mg of magnesium and 257 mg of potassium. When levels are high, your veins and arteries relax, allowing an increase in the flow of oxygen and nutrient rich blood.
- Potassium Necessary for optimal nerve and muscle functions. Also helps to stabilize the heart muscle and blood pressure.
- Copper and manganese These trace minerals are key components of an enzyme produced by the body called superoxide dismutase. This powerful substance is an excellent weapon against free radicals. It also stimulates the production of energy at both the cellular and bodily levels.
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) plays an important role in energy management, especially in areas such as the heart, lungs, brain, and other organs that are highly dependent on a rich oxygen supply.
- Almonds have probiotic properties Finely ground significantly increases the levels of beneficial bacteria. However, this effect is not seen when the fat content was removed from the almond preparation.
- Lowered gallstone risk Some studies have shown that consuming nuts can lower the risk of developing gallstones by 25 percent.
- Weight Loss A study, reported in an Whole Food’s article about almonds, involving 8865 adults found that those who consumed nuts at least two times per week were 31% less likely to gain weight than were those who never or seldom consumed them.
- Vitamin B17 Source Raw and unpasteurized almonds are a good source of Vitamin B17.
