Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Entertainment | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Almonds and anti-oxidants

It has been said that beauty is only skin deep. But for almonds, the skin is as deep as you may need to go to get a real anti-oxidant punch. In a recent study published in Journal of Nutrition the anti-oxidants in almond skins and the Vitamin E in almonds were shown to work together as an anti-oxidant team.

Researchers tested the brown skins of almonds to determine their anti-oxidant content. Almond skins have been known to contain anti-oxidants known as flavonoids, which are a large group of plant nutrients found in wine, tea fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids can act as anti-oxidants in the body protecting cells from damage. They can also protect LDL (`bad' cholesterol) from being attacked by oxygen or oxidised which makes LDL stickier and more likely to clog arteries. Additionally, these plant nutrients are thought to protect the body from the effects of aging.

Almonds contain a unique combination of anti-oxidants. Some of the 20 flavonoids identified in this analysis have been detected in other foods such as catechins found in green tea and naringenin found in citrus fruits.

Almond antioxidants really make a difference to heart health. Almonds are nutritionally dense. In addition to flavonoids, a one ounce, 164 calorie serving of almonds or about a handful is an excellent source of Vitamin E and magnesium and a good source of protein and fibre. It also offers heart healthy mono unsaturated fat, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and iron.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail