I just received a report from the ARS (Agricultural Research Service), which is the USDA’s chief scientific research agency, that it’s true, one of the foods that I just love to indulge in is actually good for me.
In this brief report, scientists funded by the ARS and the Almond Board of California discovered that making almonds a regular part of the diet significantly reduced levels of a couple of blood and urine compounds that indicate an individual is under oxidative stress. That’s a complicated way of saying that the almonds are powerful anti-oxidants, and we all know that anti-oxidants are good for us, right?
This news makes me feel so much better about eating the bulk of a carton of almond butter that Kate brought home from a trek to Lawrence or Kansas City, in search of really good things to eat. She also brought home some cashew butter … I can’t wait to learn how good it is for me to eat that stuff by the spoonful.
I have been nuts for nuts since I was a youngster. Peanuts and peanut butter were never my favorites, but it is good to know that in spite of their fat calories, nuts can do you a hull lot of good … rules of moderation probably still apply though. And when the almonds or cashews come home in the form of butter … well, it’s pretty hard for me to behave in a moderate way.
Hank Will raises hair sheep, heritage cattle and many varieties of open-pollinated corn with his wife, Karen, on their rural Osage County, Kansas farm. His home life is a perfect complement to his professional life as editor in chief at GRIT and Capper's Farmer magazines. Connect with him on Google+.
Hank, my hubby absolutely adores smoked almonds. He used to take them to work with him every day to eat with his lunch. We haven't had any for a while. I'm going to have to get some more.
I don't know about the cholesterol lowing properties of almonds, Cindy. But I do know that the people in the test my post referred to were identified as having elevated cholesterol levels. I can say that the almond butter was quite delicious though.
Almonds! Oh, I love almonds! I'm addicted to them actually, and started popping them after I read that there was a study that proved they could lower my so-high-I-should-be-dead cholesterol level. My second favorite Breakfast of Champions is almonds mixed with cholesterol-lowering Oatmeal Squares cereal and raisins; I just grab a handful or two on my way out the door, (after I've finished my first favorite Breakfast of Champions - a pot of coffee). I'm not sure if I've got "oxidative stress"; I'm not even sure what that means. But if almonds reduce it, I'm all for eating more - though I suppose everything in moderation....like almond butter. I wonder how well that works as a cholesterol lowering agent?