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Page 55
| 87 percent monounsaturated fat, the kind that helps lower cholesterol and thus may protect you against heart disease. Studies have shown that people who add 3 ounces of almonds to their daily diet have an average 10 percent drop in cholesterol. |
| Almonds offer other heart-protecting substances as well. Almonds are high in vitamin E, which helps keep artery-clogging plaque at bay, thereby reducing your risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and stroke. If you eat just an ounce of almonds a day, you'll double the average vitamin E intake. |
| F.Y.I. |
| Many researchers believe that vitamin E protects the heart only when consumed at levels well above the RDA. |
| Beneficial Minerals |
| That's not the end of the good heart news. Two minerals found in almonds, copper and magnesium, appear to help regulate cholesterol. And magnesium may also help lower blood pressure and regulate heart rhythms. |
| Almonds are also an excellent source of calcium; they contain more of this mineral than any other nut, and are in fact one of the richest nonanimal sources of it. In addition to its well-known bone-strengthening benefits, calcium helps regulate heartbeat and normalize blood pressure. |
| More Good News |
| A few almonds also provide a hefty shot of protein and other nutrients. Almonds are 20 percent proteinounce for ounce, they offer a third more protein than eggs. An ounce of almonds contains about 6 grams of protein and the same amount of fiber; because fiber slows down the body's use of energy, almonds are a great source of slow-burning fuel (which explains why they're rarely absent from trail mix). |
| Finally, as if that's not enough: Almond oil is a wonderful skin soother. |
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