Almonds vs Walnuts – Which is Healthier?

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Our Verdict

When comparing almonds to walnuts, we picked the almonds.

Why?

It wasn’t just our almond bias, but it was close!

In terms of macros, the main important differences are:

  • Almonds are higher in protein
  • Walnuts are higher in fats (they are healthy fats)

So far, so even.

In terms of vitamins, both are rich in many vitamins; mostly the same ones. However, walnuts have more of most of the B vitamins (except for B2 and B3, where almonds win easily), and almonds have more vitamin E by several orders of magnitude.

So far, so balanced.

Almonds have slightly more choline.

Almonds have a better mineral profile, with more of most minerals that they both contain, and especially, a lot more calcium.

Both nuts have [sometimes slightly different, but] comparable benefits against diabetes, cancer, neurodegeneration, and other diseases.

In summary

This one’s close. After balancing out the various “almonds have this but walnuts have that” equal-but-different benefits, we’re going to say almonds take first place by virtue of the better mineral profile, and more choline.

But: enjoy both!

Learn more

You might like this previous article of ours:

Why You Should Diversify Your Nuts

Take care!

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  • Walking can prevent low back pain, a new study shows

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Do you suffer from low back pain that recurs regularly? If you do, you’re not alone. Roughly 70% of people who recover from an episode of low back pain will experience a new episode in the following year.

    The recurrent nature of low back pain is a major contributor to the enormous burden low back pain places on individuals and the health-care system.

    In our new study, published today in The Lancet, we found that a program combining walking and education can effectively reduce the recurrence of low back pain.

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    The WalkBack trial

    We randomly assigned 701 adults who had recently recovered from an episode of low back pain to receive an individualised walking program and education (intervention), or to a no treatment group (control).

    Participants in the intervention group were guided by physiotherapists across six sessions, over a six-month period. In the first, third and fifth sessions, the physiotherapist helped each participant to develop a personalised and progressive walking program that was realistic and tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

    The remaining sessions were short check-ins (typically less than 15 minutes) to monitor progress and troubleshoot any potential barriers to engagement with the walking program. Due to the COVID pandemic, most participants received the entire intervention via telehealth, using video consultations and phone calls.

    A health-care professional examines a woman's back.
    Low back pain can be debilitating. Karolina Kaboompics/Pexels

    The program was designed to be manageable, with a target of five walks per week of roughly 30 minutes daily by the end of the six-month program. Participants were also encouraged to continue walking independently after the program.

    Importantly, the walking program was combined with education provided by the physiotherapists during the six sessions. This education aimed to give people a better understanding of pain, reduce fear associated with exercise and movement, and give people the confidence to self-manage any minor recurrences if they occurred.

    People in the control group received no preventative treatment or education. This reflects what typically occurs after people recover from an episode of low back pain and are discharged from care.

    What the results showed

    We monitored the participants monthly from the time they were enrolled in the study, for up to three years, to collect information about any new recurrences of low back pain they may have experienced. We also asked participants to report on any costs related to their back pain, including time off work and the use of health-care services.

    The intervention reduced the risk of a recurrence of low back pain that limited daily activity by 28%, while the recurrence of low back pain leading participants to seek care from a health professional decreased by 43%.

    Participants who received the intervention had a longer average period before they had a recurrence, with a median of 208 days pain-free, compared to 112 days in the control group.

    Two men walking and talking in a park.
    In our study, regular walking appeared to help with low back pain. PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Overall, we also found this intervention to be cost-effective. The biggest savings came from less work absenteeism and less health service use (such as physiotherapy and massage) among the intervention group.

    This trial, like all studies, had some limitations to consider. Although we tried to recruit a wide sample, we found that most participants were female, aged between 43 and 66, and were generally well educated. This may limit the extent to which we can generalise our findings.

    Also, in this trial, we used physiotherapists who were up-skilled in health coaching. So we don’t know whether the intervention would achieve the same impact if it were to be delivered by other clinicians.

    Walking has multiple benefits

    We’ve all heard the saying that “prevention is better than a cure” – and it’s true. But this approach has been largely neglected when it comes to low back pain. Almost all previous studies have focused on treating episodes of pain, not preventing future back pain.

    A limited number of small studies have shown that exercise and education can help prevent low back pain. However, most of these studies focused on exercises that are not accessible to everyone due to factors such as high cost, complexity, and the need for supervision from health-care or fitness professionals.

    On the other hand, walking is a free, accessible way to exercise, including for people in rural and remote areas with limited access to health care.

    Two feet and lower legs in athletic gear walking alongside the water.
    Walking has a variety of advantages. Cast Of Thousands/Shutterstock

    Walking also delivers many other health benefits, including better heart health, improved mood and sleep quality, and reduced risk of several chronic diseases.

    While walking is not everyone’s favourite form of exercise, the intervention was well-received by most people in our study. Participants reported that the additional general health benefits contributed to their ongoing motivation to continue the walking program independently.

    Why is walking helpful for low back pain?

    We don’t know exactly why walking is effective for preventing back pain, but possible reasons could include the combination of gentle movements, loading and strengthening of the spinal structures and muscles. It also could be related to relaxation and stress relief, and the release of “feel-good” endorphins, which block pain signals between your body and brain – essentially turning down the dial on pain.

    It’s possible that other accessible and low-cost forms of exercise, such as swimming, may also be effective in preventing back pain, but surprisingly, no studies have investigated this.

    Preventing low back pain is not easy. But these findings give us hope that we are getting closer to a solution, one step at a time.

    Tash Pocovi, Postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Health Sciences, Macquarie University; Christine Lin, Professor, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney; Mark Hancock, Professor of Physiotherapy, Macquarie University; Petra Graham, Associate Professor, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Macquarie University, and Simon French, Professor of Musculoskeletal Disorders, Macquarie University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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  • What Most People Don’t Know About Hearing Aids

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    Dr. Juliëtte Sterkens, a doctor of audiology, makes things clearer in this TEDx talk:

    The sound of the future

    Half of all adults experience hearing loss by the age of 75, and by 85, that goes up to two thirds. Untreated hearing loss leads to depression, social isolation, cognitive decline, and even an increased fall risk.

    It’s not just about reduced volume though; Dr. Sterkens points out that for many (like this writer!) it’s more a matter of unequal pitch perception and difficulty in speech clarity. Most hearing aids just amplify sound, and don’t fully restore clarity, especially beyond a short range.

    However, technology keeps marching forwards there have been improvements in the move from analog to digital, and today’s bluetooth-enabled hearing aids often do a lot better, especially in the case of things like TV transmitters and clip-on microphones.

    Out and about, you might see signs sometimes saying “Hearing Loop Enabled”, and those transmit sound directly to telecoil-equipped hearing aids—venues with public address systems are legally required to provide hearing accommodations like this. Many hearing aids include telecoils, but users often aren’t informed or don’t have them activated, which is unfortunate, because telecoils improve hearing dramatically in loop-enabled venues.

    Dr. Sterkens makes a plea for us to, as applicable,

    • Activate telecoils and insist on them in new hearing aids.
    • Advocate for assistive listening systems in public venues.
    • Use available resources like the Hearing Loss Association of America for tools and information.
    • Familiarize ourselves with accessibility laws and report non-compliance.
    • Aim to make the world more accessible for people with hearing loss through advocacy, technology, and awareness.

    For more on all of this, enjoy:

    Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

    Want to learn more?

    You might also like to read:

    Dealing With Hearing Loss

    Take care!

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  • How To Survive A Heart Attack When You’re Alone

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Dr. Alan Mandel emphasizes the importance of staying calm and following these steps to improve survival chances:

    Simple is best

    Here’s how you will survive a heart attack alone: briefly.

    So, you will need to get help as quickly as possible. 90% of people who make it to a hospital alive, go on to survive their heart attack, so that’s your top priority.

    Call emergency services as soon as you suspect you are having a heart attack. Stay on the line, and stay calm.

    While having a heart attack is not an experience that’s very conducive to relaxation, heightened emotions will exacerbate things, so focus on breathing calmly. One of the commonly reported symptoms of heart attack that doesn’t often make it to official lists is “a strong sense of impending doom”, and that is actually helpful as it helps separate it from “is this indigestion?” or such, but once you have acknowledged “yes, this is probably a heart attack”, you need to put those feelings aside for later.

    If you have aspirin available, Dr. Mandel says that the time to take it is once you have called an ambulance. However, if aspirin is not readily available, do not exert yourself trying to find some; indeed, don’t move more than necessary.

    Do not drive yourself to hospital; it will increase the risk of fainting, and you may crash.

    While you are waiting, your main job is to remain calm; he recommends deep breathing, and lying with knees elevated or feet on a chair; this latter is to minimize the strain on your heart.

    For more on all this, plus the key symptoms and risk factors, enjoy:

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    Want to learn more?

    You might also like to read:

    Heart Attack: His & Hers (Be Prepared!)

    Take care!

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Related Posts

  • Edamame vs Natto – Which is Healthier?
  • Wholewheat Bread vs Seeded White – Which is Healthier?

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Our Verdict

    When comparing wholewheat bread to seeded bread, we picked the wholewheat.

    Why?

    First, we will acknowledge that this is a false dichotomy; it is possible to have seeded wholewheat bread. However, it is very common to have wholewheat bread that isn’t seeded, and white bread that is seeded. So, it’s important to be able to decide which is the healthier option, since very often, this false dichotomy is what’s on offer.

    We will also advise checking labels (or the baker, if getting from a bakery) to ensure that visibly brown bread is actually wholewheat, and not just dyed brown with caramel coloring or such (yes, that is a thing that some companies do).

    Now, as for why we chose the wholewheat over the seeded white…

    In terms of macronutrients, wholewheat bread has (on average; individual breads may vary of course) has 2x the protein and a lot more fiber.

    Those seeds in seeded bread? They just aren’t enough to make a big impact on the overall nutritional value of the bread in those regards. Per slice, you are getting, what, 10 seeds maybe? This is not a meaningful dietary source of much.

    Seeded bread does have proportionally more healthy fats, but the doses are still so low as to make it not worth the while; it just looks like a lot of expressed as a percentage of comparison, because of the wholewheat bread has trace amounts, and the seeded bread has several times those trace amounts, it’s still a tiny amount. So, we’d recommend looking to other sources for those healthy fats.

    Maybe dip your bread, of whatever kind, into extra virgin olive oil, for example.

    Wholewheat bread of course also has a lower glycemic index. Those seeds in seeded white bread don’t really slow it down at all, because they’re not digested until later.

    Want to learn more?

    You might like to read:

    Enjoy!

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  • How To Reduce Or Quit Alcohol

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Rethinking Drinking

    When we’re looking at certain health risks, there are often five key lifestyle factors that have a big impact; they are:

    • Have a good diet
    • Get good exercise
    • Get good sleep
    • Reduce (or eliminate) alcohol
    • Don’t smoke

    Today, we’re focussing the alcohol bit. Maybe you’d like to quit, maybe just cut down, maybe the topic just interests you… So, here’s a quick rundown of some things that will help make that a lot easier:

    With a big enough “why”, you can overcome any “how”

    Research and understand the harm done by drinking, including:

    And especially as we get older, memory problems:

    Alcohol-related dementia: an update of the evidence

    And as for fear of missing out, or perhaps even of no longer being relaxed/fun… Did you ever, while sober, have a very drunk person try to converse with you, and you thought “I wish that were me”?

    Probably not

    Know your triggers

    Why do you drink? If your knee-jerk response is “because I like it”, dig deeper. What events prompt you to have a drink?

    • Some will be pure habit born of convention—perhaps with a meal, for example
    • Others may be stress-management—after work, perhaps
    • Others may be pseudo-medicinal—a nightcap for better* sleep, for instance

    *this will not work. Alcohol may make us sleepy but it will then proceed to disrupt that very sleep and make it less restorative

    Become mindful

    Now that you know why you’d like to drink less (or quit entirely), and you know what triggers you to drink, you can circumvent that a little, by making deals with yourself, for example

    • “I can drink alcohol, if and only if I have consumed a large glass of water first” (cuts out being thirsty as a trigger to drink)
    • “I can drink alcohol, if and only if I meditate for at least 5 minutes first” (reduces likelihood of stress-drinking)
    • “I can drink alcohol, if and only if it is with the largest meal of the day” (minimizes total alcohol consumption)

    Note that these things also work around any FOMO, “Fear Of Missing Out”. It’s easier to say “no” when you know you can have it later if you still want it.

    Get a good replacement drink

    There are a lot of alcohol-free alcohol-like drinks around these days, and many of them are very good. Experiment and see. But!

    It doesn’t even have to be that. Sometimes what we need is not even an alcohol-like drink, but rather, drinkable culinary entertainment.

    If you like “punch-in-the-face” flavors (as this writer does), maybe strong black coffee is the answer. If you like “crisp and clear refreshment” (again, same), maybe your favorite herbal tea will do it for you. Or maybe for you it’ll be lemon-water. Or homemade ginger ale.

    Whatever it is… make it fun, and make it yours!

    Bonus item: find replacement coping strategies

    This one goes if you’ve been using alcohol to cope with something. Stress, depression, anxiety, whatever it may be for you.

    The thing is, it feels like it helps briefly in the moment, but it makes each of those things progressively worse in the long-run, so it’s not sustainable.

    Consider instead things like therapy, exercise, and/or a new hobby to get immersed in; whatever works for you!

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  • All of your hepatitis B vaccine questions answered

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Hepatitis B is a viral infection that can cause liver disease in people of any age or background. Vaccination is 95 percent effective against the virus. But in recent years, false claims, rumors, and myths about the hepatitis B vaccine have become increasingly common.

    Here’s everything you need to know about the lifesaving hepatitis B vaccine.

    What is hepatitis B?

    Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. The virus attacks the liver, causing severe short-term and long-term infections. 

    Short-term hepatitis B infections may cause “fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, jaundice (yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements), and pain in the muscles, joints, and stomach,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

    A long-term hepatitis B infection occurs when the virus stays in the body beyond the initial infection, causing chronic illness. Hepatitis B infections become chronic in 90 percent of infected infants, half of infected young children, and between 5 to 10 percent of infected adults. 

    “Most people who go on to develop chronic hepatitis B do not have symptoms, but it is still very serious and can lead to liver damage (cirrhosis), liver cancer, and death. Chronically infected people can spread hepatitis B virus to others, even if they do not feel or look sick themselves,” says the CDC. 

    How does the hepatitis B virus spread?

    The hepatitis B virus is spread through body fluids, including blood, semen, and saliva. It can also be transmitted from birthing parent to child during pregnancy and childbirth. 

    “While hepatitis B is an infection that lives in bodily fluids, it can survive outside the human body for several days, which means that sharing contaminated household products is a possible source of infection,” said Dr. Christopher Labos, a McGill University cardiologist and epidemiologist, in a 2019 article.

    In 2022, over 250 million people worldwide had chronic hepatitis B, and 1.1 million died from the disease. Most of the deaths were from liver damage and liver cancer. Less than 15 percent of people living with hepatitis B have been diagnosed. 

    How well does the vaccine protect against hepatitis B?

    Hepatitis B vaccination is up to 95 percent effective, providing lasting—and possibly lifelong—protection against the virus. Depending on when the first dose is given, the complete vaccine series consists of two to three doses. 

    The vaccine is most effective for infants and children. The CDC recommends that infants receive it at birth for the most protection. 

    The first dose is followed by two to three additional doses administered before 18 months. Children, adolescents, and adults who weren’t vaccinated as infants should also receive the vaccine. 

    Vaccination is particularly important for high-risk groups, including health workers and those who are in close contact with individuals living with chronic hepatitis B, people who use intravenous drugs, and people receiving blood transfusions, dialysis, or organ transplants. 

    Is the vaccine safe?

    Vaccines against hepatitis B were first developed in the 1980s, and they have been proven safe for decades. They have a low risk of serious side effects and are safe enough to be given to newborns, pregnant people, and immunocompromised people.

    We also know hepatitis B vaccines work: “Between 1990 (about the time when universal hepatitis B vaccinations started) and 2006, the rate of hepatitis B infection fell by 81 percent to the lowest level ever recorded, and the decline was greatest among children,” added Labos. 

    Hepatitis B rates have continued to decline across all age groups, with the U.S. exceeding its goal of reducing new hepatitis B infections by 20 percent.

    Why do doctors recommend the vaccine for babies?

    Hepatitis B vaccination helps protect infants from a lifetime of potentially life-threatening infections and complications. Nine out of 10 unvaccinated infants infected with hepatitis B will develop chronic infections, which increases their risk of liver failure and liver cancer. 

    The hepatitis B vaccine is administered at birth to help prevent the virus from being transmitted from birthing parent to child. It also helps protect infants who might be in close contact with someone with hepatitis B. This is particularly important because most people who have hepatitis are undiagnosed. 

    Have more questions? Talk to your health care provider to learn more about hepatitis B vaccination.

    This article first appeared on Public Good News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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