Eating almonds regularly can help you stave off viral infections like the common cold and flu.
A new study has revealed that naturally occurring chemicals found in the skin of the nut boost the immune system’s response to such infections.
Researchers found almond skins improved the ability of the white blood cells to detect viruses while also increasing the body’s ability to prevent viruses from replicating and spreading inside the body, according to the journal Immunology Letters.
They discovered that even after the almonds had been digested, the immune system was more poised to act against viruses.
Almonds
Researchers found that almond skin extracts were effective against even Herpes Simplex Virus 2, which can cause cold sores. The virus is notoriously difficult to treat due to its ability to evade the immune system.
The scientists, based at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, Britain and the Policlinico Universitario in Messina, Italy, said their findings suggest that the nuts can increase the immune system’s ability to fight off a wide range of viruses, including those that cause flu and the common cold.
They said they, however, still have to carry out research on how many almonds must be eaten to obtain a beneficial effect.
Giuseppina Mandalari from the Institute of Food Research said: “Almond skins are able to stimulate the immune response and thus contribute to an antiviral immune defence.”
It was likely that eating almonds regularly could help protect people from becoming infected with viruses in the first place, while it could also help those already infected to fight off their illness.
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A new research suggests that consuming an almond-enriched diet may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The study, one of the first of its kind to quantify prevention data, illustrates that consuming almonds may help improve insulin sensitivity and decrease LDL-cholesterol levels in those with prediabetes.
Researchers looked at the effects of consuming an almond-enriched diet on factors linked to the progression of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adults with prediabetes.
After 16 weeks of consuming either an almond-enriched or regular diet, both in accordance with American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommendations, the group that consumed an almond-enriched diet showed significantly improved LDL-cholesterol levels and measures of insulin sensitivity, risk factors for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
A caveat is that although study participants in both groups were instructed to consume the same amount of calories from carbohydrates, there was less self-reported carbohydrate intake among those in the almond group.
“We have made great strides in chronic disease research from evidence of effective treatment to evidence of effective prevention” says Dr. Michelle Wien, Assistant Research Professor in Nutrition at Loma Linda University”s School of Public Health and Principal Investigator for this study, which was conducted at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Wien adds, “It is promising for those with risk factors for chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, that dietary changes may help to improve factors that play a potential role in the disease development. It would be beneficial to conduct tightly controlled metabolic feeding studies and postprandial studies that feature controlled amounts of carbohydrate to confirm the findings of this study, which was performed in a free-living population.”
The findings were published in the June 2010 Journal of the American College of Nutrition.