In this article, you will find answers to can almonds lower cholesterol, how many, and what time to eat them.
Almonds are crunchy and nutty and make for a healthy snack option throughout the year. It’s not without reasons that health experts recommend eating almonds every day. Almonds are considered a superfood; they are loaded with vital nutrients, such as fiber, vitamin E, and many more, that are good for overall health. In fact, because of their healthy fat content, they help lose weight, increase immunity, improve skin health, and much more. But did you know they are great for heart health too? According to some studies, almonds help increase HDL cholesterol levels (good cholesterol) and promote heart health.
Can Almonds Lower Cholesterol?
According to the book Healing Foods by DK Publishing, almonds are a powerhouse of cholesterol-lowering mono-unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid and palmitoleic acids. It further states, “Almonds are a great source of protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and antioxidants that benefit cardiovascular health.” In addition, a study reported in the Journal Of Nutrition mentions that a handful of almonds helps boost HDL cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels as well in the body.
Studies Show a Link Between Almonds Consumption & Cholesterol Reduction
Another study reported in the journal Nutrients mentions that including almonds in your daily diet can decrease symptoms of dyslipidemia. Dyslipidemia is a condition characterized by high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL), low levels of good cholesterol (HDL), and high triglyceride levels in the body.
What time is best to eat almonds?
As per nutritionist Best Fitness Guru, you should eat almonds early in the morning or as mid-day snacks. Avoid eating at night.
How many almonds do you need to eat a day to reduce cholesterol?
Best Fitness Guru says you should eat 7 to 10 soaked almonds daily. Soak them overnight, peel their skin in the morning and eat them.
However, according to one study published in the journal Nutrition Research eating fourteen grams of almonds daily may promote a healthy heart.
How To Include Almonds In Your Diet?
Eating soaked, peeled almonds in the morning helps absorb most of their nutrients. Because the brown skin of almonds has tannin, which can obstruct nutrient absorption. Once the almonds are soaked overnight, their skin comes off easily and allows the almonds to release all nutrients easily, says the Best Fitness Guru.
Another way is chopping a few of them and throwing them into your bowl of hot oats, and adding in some fruits. You can even sprinkle them in yogurt or munch on a few covered with dark chocolate.
Bottom Line
Studies support that almonds can help lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels plus raise HDL (good) cholesterol. While it is not fully known why they improve cholesterol levels, it could be something to do with one of the many healthy nutrients in almonds.
There is evidence to suggest that almonds have heart health benefits (while it has not been scientifically proven), and 1.5 ounces of nuts may help lower heart disease risks when used with a healthy diet.
However, further studies are required to prove a direct link between almonds and improved cholesterol levels. In the meantime, it will be good to include almonds in your diet, mainly if you use them to replace more cholesterol-damaging snacks, such as chips and cookies. However, you must ensure that you don’t overdo it as, like other foods, they have calories that can add to your waistline.
About Author: Renu Bakshi, AKA Fitness Buffh – Best Fitness Guru, is ISSA Certified Elite Trainer. He 
passed Personal Fitness Trainer Course, Nutrition Health Coach course & Specialist Exercise Therapy course from ISSA, the USA, obtaining + 97% marks. He shares his experience and knowledge about nutrition and effective workouts to get you in the best shape of your life, no matter how old you may be. The author says: “For me, age is just a number!”