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Nuts about your Heart..? Eat Almonds!

Are you Nuts about Almonds?

I am!

Almonds are good for the heart they lowering cholesterol, and reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease. Almonds are a great source of vitamin E, copper, magnesium, and high quality protein.

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These nuts are one of the richest sources of vitamin E, which seems to protect against UV light damage and Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that defends your cells against damage on a daily basis and prevents artery-clogging oxidation of cholesterol. Almonds are a source of vitamin E, copper, magnesium, and high quality protein.

Almonds also contain high levels of healthy unsaturated fatty acids in addition to a lot of bioactive molecules (such as fiber, phytosterols, vitamins, other minerals, and antioxidants) which can help prevent cardiovascular heart diseases.

By munching away on almonds you can top up on important minerals such as Magnesium, Potassium & Manganese.

Manganese helps the body form strong bones and regulates blood sugar; and magnesium, which is essential for organ, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and regulating blood pressure. Magnesium is also nature’s own calcium channel blocker. When there is enough magnesium around, veins and arteries breathe a sigh of relief and relax, which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Studies show that a deficiency of magnesium is not only associated with heart attack but that immediately following a heart attack, lack of sufficient magnesium promotes free radical injury to the heart.

Potassium, an important electrolyte involved in nerve transmission and the contraction of all muscles including the heart, is another mineral that is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Almonds promote your cardiovascular health by providing 162 mg of potassium and only 0.2 mg of sodium, making almonds an especially good choice to in protecting against high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. Almonds regulate sugar – almonds appear to not only decrease after-meal rises in blood sugar, but also provide antioxidants to mop up the smaller amounts of free radicals that still result.

Eat almonds with the skin on: it contains an impressive collection of flavonoids that act as antioxidants and enhance the effect of vitamin E that could be beneficial as we age.

In fact, other nuts appear to be cardio-protective as well – Walnuts, pecans and chestnuts have the highest antioxidant content of the tree nuts, with walnuts delivering more than 20 mmol antioxidants per 3 ounces (100 grams).

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