14 Almond Facts
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2015
Snacking on Almonds Reduces Belly Fat
and Other Heart Disease Risk Factors
A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that a daily snack of 1.5 ounces of
almonds, instead of a high-carbohydrate muffn for example, eaten as part of an overall healthy diet, improved a number
of heart disease risk factors in study participants. In addition to signifcantly improving LDL (the ‘bad’ cholesterol) and
total cholesterol, snacking on almonds instead of muffns also reduced central adiposity (belly fat), a well-established heart
disease risk factor.
Although heart disease remains
the number one cause of death in
the United States and worldwide,
it is estimated that at least 80
percent of premature deaths
from cardiovascular disease can
be avoided if diet and lifestyle
risk factors are controlled. While
a signifcant body of evidence
has shown that eating almonds
is associated with improved
heart health, this is the frst and
largest controlled feeding study
using identical diets with the
exception of almonds vs. a calorie-
matched snack to investigate
and isolate the cardio-protective
properties of almonds beyond
their contributions to an overall
heart-healthy diet. The fndings
are also the frst of their kind to
show benefts of eating almonds
in reducing abdominal and leg
fat. Reducing abdominal fat is
particularly benefcial given its
connection to metabolic syndrome
and increased risk for heart disease.
This study joins nearly two
decades of research showing
that almonds can help maintain
a healthy heart and healthy
cholesterol levels, and provides
new evidence showing that
regularly eating almonds instead
of a high-carbohydrate snack
may have benefts on body
composition. Previous studies
showed that regular almond
consumption did not lead to
signifcant changes in body
weight, indicating that nutrient-
rich almonds can be incorporated
in weight-maintenance and
weight-loss diets.
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