The Nutritious Power of Almonds

Nutrition Appeal: Add the Healthy Halo of Almonds to Snack Products

9/4/2020

Consumer Demand for Healthy Choices

What: Overwhelmingly, consumers are seeking out healthy lifestyle options, leading to an increased awareness of nutrition labels and ingredients.

And as the demand for products without certain ingredients – gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free – and flexitarian and plant-forward diets become more mainstream, the market for clean label, plant-based ingredients continues to flourish.

Why Almonds? In general, health claims are featured more frequently on product introductions with almonds versus total food introductions¹.

Check out this infographic for more on utilizing almonds as complementary plant proteins in plant-based dishes.

Learn more about understanding and optimizing almond protein quality here.

To learn more about the nutrient profile of almonds, click here.³

Weight Management

What: For those seeking an easy, natural approach to nutrition and well-being, almonds are an ideal ingredient due to their healthy nutrient package including fiber and protein content* for satiety, essential fatty acids, polyphenols and antioxidant vitamin E.

Plus, scientists at the US Department of Agriculture recently looked at the digestible calories provided by different forms of almonds – from whole and chopped almonds to almond butter – and the results were different from what traditional calorie data shows.***

Consumers view almonds as the #1 nut for being healthy, best for weight management and the heart³, and is energy rich and nutritious⁴. Almonds keep people “satisfied” or fuller for longer due to their unique macronutrient profile of good fats, protein, and fiber.

Why Almonds? Three-quarters of consumers agree that having healthy snacks around, like almonds, keeps them from making unhealthy choices.⁴

Heart Smart & Good for Gut Health³

What: Almonds provide several key nutrients that contribute to cardiovascular health.

Evidence shows that high fiber intake, particularly soluble fiber, may help protect against several heart-related problems. With 4 grams of fiber in ever healthy handful, almonds can help manage blood sugar and reduce levels of bad cholesterol.

Plus, initial research shows that almonds may have a prebiotic effect that may support the GI tract by increasing the diversity and modifying the composition of the gut microbiome⁶.

Why Almonds? Surveyed consumers view almonds as the healthiest nut compared to peanuts, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, macadamias, hazelnuts, pine nuts and brazil nuts, and 81% of consumers classified almonds as good for your heart⁷.

For more information on the links between almonds and heart and gut health, click here.

Looking for more information about on-pack heart-health claims? Check out the nutrition requirements from the American Heart association here.

Almonds Effect on Blood Sugar

What: Several studies suggest that almonds can benefit individuals with type 2 diabetes because of their high magnesium levels, which plays an important role in glucose metabolism. Diets richer in magnesium are associated with significantly lower risk of diabetes.

Other research suggests that including almonds at breakfast may help stabilize blood sugar levels and feelings of fullness for the better part of the day.

Why Almonds? Research suggests that almonds may help to blunt sugar highs of high sugar foods immediately after consumption, making them a great pair or inclusion for confectionery, snacks or bars.

Click here for more on how almonds effect blood sugar.

For more information on the links between almonds and diabetes, click here.

Almonds Effects on Facial Wrinkles and Skin Pigmentation

What: A study by the University of California-Davis investigated the effects of daily almond eating on facial wrinkles and skin pigmentation in healthy postmenopausal women with skin types most susceptible to sunburn. The promising findings showed found significant reductions in wrinkle severity and in overall facial pigment intensity. These results continue to inspire additional research to learn more about almonds and healthy skin.⁸

Why Almonds? For consumers seeking a natural approach to health and well-being, almonds are appealing due to their overall healthy nutrient package, including essential fatty acids, polyphenols and antioxidant vitamin E. The vitamin E in almonds is alpha-tocopherol, which is the only form that is recognized to meet human requirements⁹.

To learn more about this study, click here.

To learn more about this promising new study, click here.

Key Claims to Consider

What: As an all-natural ingredient, product developers can consider the following claims formulating with almonds**:

High in linoleic acid
Cholesterol free
Good source of fiber
No added sugar
Good source of niacin
High riboflavin
High in antioxidant vitamin E
Good source of magnesium
High manganese
Naturally sodium free
Healthy

Why Almonds? When shopping, most consumers look at the nutrition label and ingredient list for information about the healthfulness of food items¹⁰.

Additional Resources & Research

Not only are almonds a nutritious, in-demand ingredient, but the Almond Board itself is unparalleled in its expertise and the resources it develops for manufacturers looking to incorporate almonds into their products.

Manufacturers can contact the Almond Board directly with questions or to request information by emailing foodprofessionals@almonds.com

Explore even more ways that California almonds can add value to product development across snacking, chocolate, cereal and bakery.

You can also access 180+ pieces of available research within this database, including the latest consumer demand research, sustainability information, and inspirational recipe content, developed specifically for manufacturers.

Topics: Food Inspiration, Health & Wellness

_{*A one ounce serving of almonds provides 6g of protein and 4g of fiber.}

_{**Food professionals should review all labels with their legal counsel}

_{***While the composition of almonds hasn’t changed, researchers used a new method of measuring the calories in almonds, which build on traditional methods and allowed them to determine the number of calories actually digested and absorbed from almonds. Further research is needed to better understand how this technique could potentially affect the calorie count of other foods.}

_{¹ Innova Market Insights Global New Product Introductions Report 2019}

_{² Gebauer SK, Novotny JA, Bornhorst GM, Baer DJ. Food processing and structure impact the metabolizable energy of almonds. Food & Function. 2016;7(10):4231-4238.}

_{³ Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. One serving of almonds (28g) has 13g of unsaturated fat and only 1g of saturated fat.}

_{⁴United States Attitudes Awareness and Usage Research, Sterling Rice Group. 2018.}

_{⁵2019 PN Styles Survey Results. September 2019.}

_{⁶ American society for Microbiology, Potential Prebiotic Properties of Almond (Amygdalus communis L.) Seeds, https://aem.asm.org/content/aem/74/14/4264.full.pdf}

_{⁷Global Perceptions Study: United States 2019}

_{⁸ Rybak I, Carrington AE, Dhaliwal S, Hasan A, Wu H, Burney W, Maloh J, Sivamani RK. Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effects of Almonds on Facial Wrinkles and Pigmentation. Nutrients. 2021; 13(3):785. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030785}

_{⁹ US Department of Health & Human Services, Vitamin E Fact Sheet for Health Professionals: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/}

_{¹⁰International Food Information Council Foundation and the American Heart Association Food Label Survey, January 2019 https://foodinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IFIC-FDN-AHA-Report.pdf}