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Despite Their High-Fat Content, Almonds Can Make a Heart-Healthy Snack

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Despite Their High-Fat Content, Almonds Can Make a Heart-Healthy Snack

What would happen if you took individuals with undesirably high levels of fat in their blood and had one group snack on whole grain-containing foods (like whole-wheat muffins) and another group snack on high-quality yet also high-fat plant food like almonds? How would you expect these very different kinds of snacks to affect the level of fat in their blood? Equally important, would their blood seem better protected or not as well protected by antioxidants given these two very different snack choices. Researchers at the University of Toronto, Canada asked exactly these questions in conducting a small-sized study on men and women in the Toronto area whose blood fats were known to be elevated. One group received a 5-ounce whole wheat muffin as a daily snack, and the other group received a 2.5 ounce serving of almonds. (The muffin was prepared with corn oil, egg whites, and skim-milk powder in such a way as to contain the same amount of protein and fat as the almonds, including a similar balance between saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats.) The amount of fiber provided by the muffins was also made equal to the amount of fiber naturally present in the almonds. To try and assess the relevance of portion size for these snacks, the researchers asked half of the whole-wheat muffin group to consume only one-half of a muffin each day, and they asked half of the almond group to consume only one half-serving of almonds (a little bit more than 1 ounce).

Almond snacks turned out to have more beneficial affects on blood fats than whole-wheat muffin snacks, regardless of serving size. Total cholesterol dropped more from both serving sizes of almonds, and in the case of 2.5 ounce almond snacks per day, the decrease in blood LDL and the increase in blood HDL was significantly better than the changes brought about by whole-wheat muffin snacking. In terms of antioxidants in the blood and blood measurements of oxidative stress, the researchers got mixed results. For example, levels of vitamin E-a key antioxidant in the bloodstream-did not improve with 2.5 ounces per day of almond snacks or with a daily whole-wheat muffin snack. But some measures of oxidative stress in the bloodstream did improve along with daily snacking on almonds. The authors speculated that these antioxidant benefits were most likely to have come not from vitamin E, but from the many phytonutrients found in almonds, including the many different antioxidant flavonoids present in almond skins (including catechins, procyanidins, quercetin, and caffeic and ferulic acids).

At the WHF, we have always believed that high-fat plant foods like almonds belong in a healthy diet, despite the perception that they might be problematic due to their higher percentage of fat. This study offers important evidence about the superiority of high-fat yet high-quality plant foods like almonds versus more commonly chosen snack foods like muffins in helping improve fat levels in the blood. But we also believe it’s a study showing the advantages of whole natural foods! Even though we were glad to see a whole grain being used in the muffin snacks in this study, the very fact of a processed ingredients like corn oil, skim-milk powder and isolate egg white used to produce a daily snack seems like a less reliable health option than a whole, natural food.

Practical Tip

Don’t automatically shy away from high-fat food snacks, even if you are a person who is experiencing problems with your blood fat levels. Instead, focus on the amount and quality of your snacks, and choose whole, natural foods that are rich in blood-protective nutrients. A whole, natural plant food like almonds can be high in fat and yet still helpful in improving your blood fat levels, provided that you stick with a moderate snack portion (of about 2 ounces) and incorporate this snack into an otherwise healthy diet.

References

References

  1. Jenkins DJA, Kendall CWC, Marchie A et al. Almonds Reduce Biomarkers of Lipid Peroxidation in Older Hyperlipidemic Subjects. The Journal of Nutrition. Bethesda: May 2008. Vol. 138, Iss. 5; p. 908-913. 2008.