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Almonds may lower cholesterol

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Almonds have recently been touted for their ability to reduce diabetes risk. However, studies have shown that they may also benefit individuals who have received unhealthy cholesterol test results.

A report recently published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition showed that individuals who supplement their diet with high levels of almonds may be able to lower their levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol.

For the study, a group of researchers from Loma Linda University in California had one group of individuals with poor heart health supplement their diet with high levels of almonds, while another simply ate more fruits and whole grains.

The researchers found that the group who supplemented their diet with almonds was able to lower their LDL levels by 12.4 mg/dl. This was a significantly greater reduction than what was observed in the participants who only improved their diet.

"An ADA diet consisting of 20 percent of calories as almonds over a 16-week period yields clinically significant improvements in LDL-C in adults with prediabetes," the researchers wrote in their report.