New Study Examines the Benefits of Eating Almonds on Blood Sugar and Daily Calorie Intake

Snack of almonds vs. a high-carbohydrate snack food resulted in a lower blood glucose response and fewer calories consumed over the course of the day

News provided by

Almond Board of California

Nov 11, 2021, 08:15 ET

MODESTO, Calif., Nov. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to snacking to help you push through the morning slog, what you choose to eat can make or break your morning and impact how you eat the rest of the day. A new study¹, funded by the Almond Board of California, showed that a morning snack of almonds (compared to a common high-carbohydrate option) helped keep blood sugar levels more stable and trimmed the number of overall calories eaten over the course of the day.

Snack of almonds vs. a high-carbohydrate snack food resulted in a lower blood glucose response and fewer calories consumed over the course of the day

In this study of 100 New Zealand adults aged 18 – 65 years, participants ate either at least 1.5 ounces of unroasted almonds or a calorie-matched sweet biscuit snack (the most popular New Zealand snack according to a survey). Both snacks accounted for 10% of total calorie intake, so in some cases, the amount of snack eaten was higher.

This study had a randomized crossover design, meaning that each participant completed the study eating the almond snack and then repeated the study eating the biscuit snack on a separate day, or vice versa, with a washout period between each treatment. On the test days, participants ate a standardized breakfast. Two hours later, they ate their assigned snack food. Blood glucose and appetite ratings were measured at baseline and at 15 or 30-minute intervals after they finished eating. Two hours after the snack, lunch was offered to participants, who ate as much or as little as desired and consumption was recorded. Participants then recorded their food intake for the remainder of the day.

Results showed that the blood sugar response was lower among participants after eating the almond snack versus the biscuit snack. Appetite ratings did not differ between groups except for the appetite score at 90 minutes, which was lower for the biscuits compared to the almonds (which was unexpected since the almond snack resulted in a more stable blood sugar response.)

There were no differences in the amount of calories eaten at lunch after the almond or biscuit snacks. However, based on the participants' food intake records, those who ate the almond snack reported eating ~150 calories less (on average) over the course of the day. If sustained, this calorie deficit could theoretically result in about a pound of weight loss per month.

"Our results showed how eating almonds as a snack in the morning resulted in participants spontaneously consuming fewer calories over the course of the day," said Dr. Rachel Brown, Lead Researcher and Professor at the Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago. "Also, our study showed that almonds tempered the post-snack blood sugar response. This is important because consistently high blood sugar levels after eating a snack or a meal may be associated with increased risk for heart disease and for death from all causes, whether a person has type 2 diabetes or not."

ABOUT THE ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
California Almonds make life better by what we grow and how we grow. The Almond Board of California promotes natural, wholesome and quality almonds through leadership in strategic market development, innovative research, and accelerated adoption of industry best practices on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond farmers and processors in California, most of whom are multi-generational family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California is a non-profit organization that administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. For more information on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit Almonds.com or check out California Almonds on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and the California Almonds blog.

¹ Brown R, Ware L, Gray AR, Chisholm A, Tey SL. Snacking on Almonds Lowers Glycaemia and Energy Intake Compared to a Popular High-Carbohydrate Snack Food: An Acute Randomised Crossover Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(20):10989. Published 2021 Oct 19. doi:10.3390/ijerph182010989

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SOURCE Almond Board of California