Almonds for all-round health

Hyderabad: A new review by a panel of Indian experts in the field of nutrition and cardiovascular disease (CVD), published in the journal Nutrients, suggests that daily inclusion of almonds as part of a healthy diet may help reduce dyslipidemia, one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease among Indians.

Dyslipidemia is a condition marked by high LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels and low HDL cholesterol levels. The review was funded by the Almond Board of California. Cardiovascular diseases account for 28 percent of all deaths in India, more than any other cause.

Due to their genetic makeup Southeast Asians, especially Indians, have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, characterized by elevated levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and lower levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol.

Lack of physical activity, poor dietary habits such as diets rich in sugar, salt and saturated fats are responsible for several conditions such as abdominal obesity and insulin resistance, which are now more common among Indians. Coupled with these lifestyle factors and conditions, genetic propensity makes Indians much more prone to heart disease than their Caucasian counterparts. It is a concern not for only those living in India, but also for Indians who live in other countries around the globe.

“Daily consumption of 45 grams of almonds can help reduce dyslipidemia, one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the Indian population. Typically, dietary strategies to reduce harmful LDL-cholesterol, such as decreasing saturated fat, also reduce beneficial HDL cholesterol, but that is not the case with almonds.

A recent systematic review[iii] that examined the breadth of studies on almonds and blood lipid levels showed that eating almonds results in significant reductions in total cholesterol and harmful LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while having no impact on beneficial HDL-cholesterol levels,” said lead author, Dr Soumik Kalita.

The review paper is co-authored by Dr B Sesikeran and Dr Kamala Krishnaswamy, both of whom have served as former directors of the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.
Dr Shweta Khandelwal, a trained public health nutritionist at the Public Health Foundation of India, Dr Jagmeet Madan, Principal at Sir Vithaldas Thackersey College of Home Science,

SNDT University and Dr Himanshu Pandya, professor of medicine and medical education at the Pramukhswami Medical College, Gujarat, were the rest of the panel.
Numerous studies worldwide have shown that almonds have the potential to help improve blood cholesterol levels. The health benefits of almonds are thought to be due to their fat profile (predominantly mono- and poly-unsaturated fats i.e. good fats), antioxidant vitamin E, dietary fiber, and other important nutrients.

Adding whole almonds to the diet is a practical nutritional strategy that can help manage dyslipidemia, and in turn, improve the cardiovascular health of Indians.

In addition to other nutrition studies, the review also included a study conducted in India that showed the inclusion of almonds in daily diets contributed towards reduced abdominal fat which is known to be a major factor in metabolic syndrome and ischemic heart disease (IHD).