Raw almonds are a nutritious and heart healthy snack.
Raw almonds provide a plethora of health benefits and taste delicious too. Understanding the health benefits of raw almonds can be difficult if you're new to eating healthy foods. The key to understanding their health benefits is to comprehend what nutrients almonds contain and what role each one of those nutrients plays in the body. After you understand their health benefits, you can add almonds to your diet to reap numerous health benefits.
Instructions
1. Understand the difference between HDL and LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is commonly referred to as "bad" cholesterol because it can slowly build up on the walls of arteries and lead to atherosclerosis -- a condition where arteries become narrow that can result in blood clots. HDL cholesterol is commonly referred to as "good" cholesterol because high HDL cholesterol levels are associated with a lower risk of having a heart attack. Eating almonds and other types of nuts helps decrease LDL cholesterol and decreases the risk of heart disease.
2. Realize how important magnesium is for the body. Magnesium is involved in over 300 metabolic reactions in the body and helps with proper heart function, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. One quarter of a cup of almonds contains 99 milligrams of magnesium, which is 24.7 percent of the recommended daily allowance.
3. Recognize how important potassium is for good health. Potassium is an electrolyte that's essential for proper nervous system function and has been linked to reduced blood pressure, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. One quarter of a cup of almonds provides 257 milligrams of potassium.
4. Understand the role of vitamin E in the body. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps neutralize free radical molecules in the body. Free radical molecules are a natural biproduct of metabolism and damage tissues and DNA. Diets high in vitamin E have been linked to a decrease risk of heart disease and cancer, according to the University of Missouri.
Tags: health benefits, according Linus, according Linus Pauling, been linked, benefits almonds
