Almonds Put Brain and Metabolic Health to the Test
California almonds are at the center of new research looking at a potential connection between the popular nut and both brain and metabolic health.
A 24-week study funded by the Almond Board of California followed 60 Asian Indian adults between the ages of 40 and 60 with prediabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to an almond group or a control group, with almonds providing 20 percent of daily calories for those in the intervention group.
Compared with the control group, those eating almonds showed improvements in executive function and processing speed, along with lower fasting and post-meal blood sugar and improved HbA1c.
Researchers also reported reductions in body weight, BMI, waist circumference and body fat, along with total and LDL cholesterol.
There are some important limitations. The study was conducted in New Delhi and included a relatively small and specific population. Researchers say larger, longer and more diverse studies are needed to confirm the findings.
Still, for California's almond industry, the research adds another area of study surrounding the nutritional value of the crop.
