Almonds are Heart Savers

WHFoods.org reports that almonds are great for your heart because they have high levels of monounsaturated fats (the good fats that reduce the level of bad fats) and the antioxidant, vitamin E. Research from the Nurses Health Study estimates that replacing an equal amount of carbohydrates with nuts in an average diet reduces the risk of heart disease by 30%. When saturated fats were replaced with fats from nuts, the risk of heart disease reduced by 45%.

In addition, research published in the Journal of Nutrition shows that eating whole almonds (with the skin) provides the best heart healthy benefit. Flavonoids in the skins of almonds in addition to the vitamin E in the nut offer more than double the amount of antioxidants than either provide alone.