Healthy Snack of the Month

Almonds, Almonds, Almonds...

Protein is an essential nutrient for the development and well being of the human body. Almonds are an excellent source of protein providing 6 grams in one ounce, nearly as much as in one ounce of red meat. Furthermore, research shows that the protein in almonds is high quality and highly digestible. An analysis of the protein provided in one ounce of almonds showed that almonds have a Protein Digestibility Combined Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 0.44, which means that the protein in almonds is able to be efficiently digested, absorbed and utilized similar to black beans, lentils and peanut meal (Sathe, 2002).

Along with the quality protein in almonds, there are 3 grams of dietary fiber per ounce. Of this, about 80 percent of the fiber is insoluble and 20 percent is soluble fiber. This mixture of fibers positively affects colonic health and cholesterol levels. In fact, the fiber in almonds may be responsible for blocking the digestion and absorption of fat from almonds into the human body (Ren et al., 2001). The decreased fat absorption may reduce the calories contributed by almonds. In addition, the combination of high quality protein and dietary fiber may have an effect on satiety (Turnball et al., 1993).

Almonds are a rich source of dietary fat. Most of the fat, nearly 70 percent, is in the form of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and most of that is oleic acid. MUFA have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels when substituted for saturated fat in the diet. In addition, almonds contain some omega-6 fatty acids, which are polyunsaturated fatty acids that research suggests may have an added benefit to the heart. Almonds are low in saturated fat and, as are all plant foods, are cholesterol free.

Almonds contain a healthful mix of essential micronutrients—vitamins and minerals. First, almonds are a good source of phosphorus and calcium, which are important minerals for bone health. The BONES (Beat Osteoporosis: Nourish and Exercise Skeletons) exercise and healthy eating project at the USDA Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University is using almonds as a plant-source of calcium and phosphorus for the participating school-aged children.

In addition, almonds are an excellent source of magnesium and supply manganese and vitamin B6. These minerals and vitamin have key roles as co-factors with enzymes during metabolism. Magnesium and manganese are used as part of the metabolism of carbohydrates. Vitamin B6 is involved in protein metabolism such as reducing levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that found in the body in high amounts can be detrimental to heart health (Whitney and Rolfes, 2002).

Related to heart health, almonds are packed with monounsaturated fatty acids and rich in vitamin E. Recommendations from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Adult Treatment Panel III recognize that replacing saturated fat in the diet with monounsaturated fats can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and reduce heart disease risk (National Cholesterol Education Program NHLBI, 2001). Similarly, research examining the role of vitamin E from food in the body is finding that vitamin E may prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol thereby reducing heart disease risk and atherosclerosis (Milbury et al., 2002). Although dietary supplement studies have had conflicting results, epidemiological evidence suggests that people who eat diets that are rich in high vitamin E foods consistently experience a reduced risk of heart disease (National Academy Press, 2000). This is possibly due to the dietary pattern of the individual that encourages consumption of vegetables, fruit, nuts and monounsaturated oils. This dietary pattern is consistent with the Mediterranean diet that is associated with decreased risk of heart disease (Barzi et al., 2003; Pitsavos et al., 2002).

Almonds are a unique food in that they are among the best whole food sources and the best nut source of vitamin E in the form of alpha-tocopherol. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recommends consuming 15 milligrams of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E per day (National Academy Press, 2000). The NAS further states that alpha-tocopherol is the one form of vitamin E that is most efficiently used by the human body. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the USDA’s Continuous Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII), there is a gap between the amount of vitamin E consumed in the United States and the recommended allowance reported by the NAS. This vitamin E gap is specific to the alpha-tocopherol form of vitamin E. Data show that most Americans are consuming only 50 percent of the Dietary Reference Intake, the recommended amount of vitamin E (National Academy Press, 2000).

Adding just one ounce (28g) of almonds to a daily diet can close the vitamin E gap. Also, almonds are one of the few foods that are both a good protein source and an excellent source of vitamin E. Research shows that the vitamin E from almonds is efficiently absorbed and produces a significant increase in plasma alpha-tocopherol levels (Sabate and Haddad, 2001).

Nutrient Density
A food that provides a variety of nutrients in high amounts per serving is considered nutrient dense. Another way to look at this is based on how many nutrients a food contains in quantities that would qualify as a good (10 to 19 percent of Daily Value) or excellent source (> 20 percent Daily Value). A food that is a good or excellent source of the most nutrients is the most nutrient dense. Almonds can be compared to other nuts on an ounce-to-ounce basis.

Figure 1 shows the scores and ranking for eight nuts. The nut comparison shows that almonds are the most nutrient dense nut and are a good source (10-19 percent DV) of four nutrients and an excellent source (20 percent DV or more) of two nutrients.

Most Americans enjoy snacking. In fact, data from the CSFII reveal that snacking has increased over the past 20 years (Jahns et al., 2001). Almonds are a great snack choice because they deliver taste, crunch and a wealth of nutrients. When compared to other snack foods such as carrots, chips, pretzels, an apple and popcorn in common serving amounts, almonds are a winning snack. Because of their nutrient density, the 164 calories consumed from one ounce of almonds are calories well spent.

[Vitamin E is an emerging area of nutrition research. To read more about vitamin E including food sources and filling the E Gap, visit www.GetYourE.org.]

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