What 47 Almonds Can Do For your Gut, Heart, Skin, & more

Do you know why 10almonds is called 10almonds?

For those who don’t: it’s a reference to an old viral Facebook hoax, that claimed that eating 10 almonds was the equivalent of taking two aspirins, for the treatment of a headache.

Almonds do not, in fact, have any analgesic properties at all (and nor do they have antiplatelet activities either; the other main use of aspirin).

So, the name was chosen as a reminder to always ensure we back up our health claims with good science!

So, what’s the deal with 47 almonds?

Researchers (Dr. Laura Beaver et al.) did a 12-week clinical trial which found that eating 2 ounces of almonds daily improved health markers in people with metabolic syndrome.

On average, 1 oz of almonds is 23 almonds, so 2 oz is 46.5 almonds, so let’s round that up to 47 almonds.

The fact that almonds are healthy is not, in and of itself, breaking news. Almonds contain abundant nutrients including healthy fats, fiber, protein, high-quality carbs, vitamins, minerals, and plentiful polyphenols.

In terms of the study (a randomized controlled trial, in which the control group had a calorie-matched cracker snack), participants in the almond group enjoyed:

• Reduced total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
• Decreased waist circumference
• Signs of reduced gut inflammation
• Increased vitamin E levels (a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, of which most Americans do not get enough)

For those who like more detail:

❝Compared with participants consuming crackers, almond consumption resulted in lower plasma total and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations, a modest improvement in waist circumference (week 4), and improved dietary intakes of α-tocopherol, soluble fiber, copper, biotin, magnesium, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and monounsaturated fatty acids.

Almond consumption raised plasma α-tocopherol concentrations (relative to cholesterol concentrations) and increased excretion of a vitamin E biomarker (α-CEHC).

Almond consumption improved biomarkers of gut barrier function and intestinal inflammation (fecal calprotectin, myeloperoxidase) in participants with elevated inflammation at baseline.❞

α-tocopherol = vitamin E
biotin = vitamin B7

You can read the paper in full, here: Beneficial changes in total cholesterol, LDL-C, biomarkers of intestinal inflammation, and vitamin E status in adults with metabolic syndrome consuming almonds as snack foods: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Does 47 almonds seem like too many?

Here’s an older (but larger, n=150) study that investigated the effects of snacking on 43g of almonds daily. which by our calculations is 39 almonds on average.

They found:

• Almonds lowered serum glucose responses postprandially (i.e. lowered blood sugars after meals)
• Almonds also reduced hunger and desire to eat.
• Dietary monounsaturated fat and α-tocopherol intakes were significantly increased in all almond groups*

*you may be wondering how many almond groups there were in this RCT; there were 4 almond groups and 1 control group:

❝This was a 4-week randomized, parallel-arm study that entailed consuming almonds (43 g/day) with breakfast (BF) or lunch (LN), alone as a morning (MS) or afternoon (AS) snack or no almonds (CL)❞

The snack groups, by the way, got better overall results than the with-a-meal groups.

Read in full: Appetitive, dietary and health effects of almonds consumed with meals or as snacks: a randomized, controlled trial

Want to learn more?

With regard to almonds’ skin benefits, see also:

Eat This Daily For No Wrinkles (& How It Works)
Six Ways To Eat For Healthier Skin
The Diet That Slows Skin Aging

Almonds are not the only nut, so check out:

Why You Should Diversify Your Nuts!

Enjoy!