New Study Reveals Almonds May Help Lower Cholesterol
New study shows a ‘Portfolio' of foods, including almonds, lowers ‘bad' cholesterol as much as statins; more evidence that almonds are a nutritious ingredient choice for product developers
Modesto, CA - A study published in the March 2006 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that a diet including almonds, soy, lean meats and fish may be as effective at lowering "bad" cholesterol as statins, the widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering pills.
Foods such as almonds, tofu, olive oil, oats and barley may reduce cholesterol levels more effectively when eaten in combination, according to the University of Toronto study co-authored Dr. Cyril Kendall and Professor David Jenkins.
The study prescribed a seven-day menu to 66 people (31 men and 35 women) with an average age of 59.3 and within 30% of their recommended cholesterol targets. For the first time, 55 participants followed the menu under real-world conditions for a year. Participants maintained diet records and met every two months with the research team to measure cholesterol and discuss progress.
After a year, more than 30% of the participants lowered their cholesterol levels by more than 20%, a rate comparable to the results achieved by 29 of the participants who took a statin for one month under metabolically controlled conditions before following the diet under real-world conditions. "The extent to which they lowered their LDL cholesterol level depended on how closely they followed the diet by eating certain heart-healthy foods, such as almonds," said Dr. Kendall.
Previous Portfolio Eating Plan research showed that the diet lowered cholesterol dramatically, but the latest study shows that it does not need to be vegan or even vegetarian to achieve notable results.
Because patients were given the opportunity to choose how closely they followed the plan, some foods were more popular than others. Almond consumption was high, with a majority of patients eating a handful per day. Study authors said this could be attributed to taste and versatility, as well as the ease of grabbing a handful of almonds on-the-go.
"This study is the latest example of health and nutrition messaging being communicated to consumers.," said Harbinder Maan, manager of foodservice and industrial marketing for the Almond Board of California. "Our consumer research shows that the message is sinking in and yielding results among our target demographics."
Almonds have a strong "healthy halo" perception: 90% of consumers said they felt foods with almonds are "more nutritious" than those without; more than 80% say almonds add interest and appeal to food products; and 64% say they would pay more for a product with almonds, according to Consumer Attitudes, Awareness and Usage (AAU) research commissioned by the ABC.
"Health and nutrition are top drivers in food industry product development and introductions today," said Melinda Safir, R.D. "As the Baby Boomers age, nut consumption will continue to rise. California almonds improve health, taste, texture and the bottom line. With this in mind, almond consumption is expected to increase substantially, and recipes and menus will have to adapt to meet this growing demand."
SOURCE: The Almond Board of California