This food from Spain has twice the protein and lowers cholesterol.
When you want to gain muscle mass, it is important to add proteins to your diet, nutrients that the body needs to perform a large number of functions in cells. This is why it is recommended to resort to some foods such as superfood, which contains more protein than eggs and is ideal for losing weight and gaining muscle mass, and also has a metabolic and regulatory function.
Proteins can be of animal origin, such as fish, meat and eggs, or of plant origin, such as legumes or nuts. Among the latter we should highlight almonds, which provide 21 grams of protein. for every 100 grams of product. This is a larger serving than eggs, which have 13 grams of protein for the same amount.
This nut has important nutritional value because in addition to its protein content, it contains monounsaturated and unsaturated fatty acids, calcium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, zinc, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine and folate.
Benefits of almonds
Almonds have many health benefits and their nutritional profile makes them an ideal superfood for weight loss. In fact, a University of South Australia study published in the journal scientific publication European Journal of Nutrition, was able to confirm that eating almonds between meals helps reduce the number of kilojoules consumed per day.
So, after eating 30 to 50 grams of almonds, participants reduced their intake by 300 kilojoules at their next meal. Thus, it has been confirmed that this dried fruit has the ability to control appetite due to its excellent satiating properties, which are provided by its high fiber, protein and fatty acid content.
On the other side, Almonds help lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol. as well as total cholesterol due to its high monounsaturated fat content, and is also good for the heart due to its unsaturated fat content, which helps protect the body from cardiovascular disease or accidents.
They also help maintain healthy bones and teeth thanks to their calcium and phosphorus content, which are added to other minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium or potassium. As for vitamins, almonds are a source of riboflavin, vitamin E, niacin, folate and thiamine, and with 25 grams of this nut you can achieve provide 42% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin E.
Almonds are also good for the brain as consuming almonds improves brain function, helps prevent degenerative diseases and improves the immune system. Additionally, due to the antioxidants they contain, they have anti-aging properties that make the skin look and feel younger, help treat dry and itchy skin problems, and strengthen hair and nails.
How to eat almonds?
The most common way to enjoy almonds and all their benefits is to eat a handful of the dried fruit along with the skin or add it to salads, smoothies or desserts. However, to realize the above-mentioned benefits, it is important that they are used as part of healthy recipes as there will be little benefit from consuming them if they are accompanied by other foods that are not healthy. You can also prepare a mixture of various nuts. which contains a large amount of almonds.
To maintain a balanced diet and control weight, it is best to eat raw almonds because the more natural they are in the body, the better. However, those who prefer can eat them roasted without the shell, which makes it easier for the body to store insulin, but in return they lose some of their antioxidant properties.
As for the amount of these dried fruits that should be eaten daily, then It is recommended to eat 10 to 20 almonds per day. depending on whether you lead a sedentary lifestyle or, conversely, regularly engage in physical activity. The healthiest ones are, as we have already mentioned, raw or fried without adding salt, while fried and salted ones or with honey should be avoided.
Nuts with the most protein
Nuts in general are an excellent alternative to animal proteins, although they should not be consumed in large quantities due to their poor digestibility and high calorie content.
To achieve the protein intake your body needs to function optimally, there are various options beyond almonds, such as peanuts, which provide more than 25 grams of protein per 100 grams of food, or pistachios and cashews. both cases with 17 to 19 grams of protein.
(Dried fruits, which we eat without knowing, fight aging and strengthen the heart after 60)
Behind them are pumpkin seeds with 19 grams of protein; walnuts (about 15 grams per 100 grams of dried fruit) and hazelnuts, which for The same amount contains from 12 to 15 grams.
Thus, there are different options that can be used to achieve the recommended daily amount of protein, with the ability to vary different nuts to achieve different health benefits.