Raw almonds - Page 3

Since I started eating almonds I no longer have to use my penis pump.

i have a container full of almonds and walnuts on my desk

with water, they're pretty good at suppressing hunger

Almonds are a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, which can help lower LDL cholesterol and lower risk of heart disease.

Eating almonds has the same effect as the cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. A one and a half ounce handful of almonds is a leading source of vitamin E and magnesium and offers protein, fiber, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron in 246 calories. Also, almonds (and other nuts) contain phytochemicals, which are plant chemicals that may provide powerful protection against heart disease, stroke, and other chronic diseases. New research gives even more support to the healthy benefits of almonds: almonds may well be a food that helps fight obesity and diabetes. At the recent 2005 Experimental Biology conference there were several studies regarding the benefits on almonds. Almonds may lower LDL (aka “bad) cholesterol, and they seem to help block the body’s absorption of both fat and carbohydrates. This has numerous implications for diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. The fiber structure of almonds may be the mechanism behind this phenomenon, and this reduces the calories available from the almonds themselves. Almonds may slow the actual absorption of the carbohydrates into the body, which means that they help to create a slower rise in blood sugar levels – and therefore help to keep insulin levels in check. Almonds also have greater levels of satiety, that is, satisfaction or fullness from food. This may be due to the high fiber content of the almonds, and this greater satiety leads to an overall satisfaction of hunger that can help people to maintain a healthy weight. The studies done at Purdue University showed that adding nearly two servings of almonds to a person’s diet did not cause them to gain weight or body fat at all, but rather led them to decrease their intake of calories from other sources of food. Therefore they did not consume more calories overall but kept the same levels of consumption despite adding almonds to their diet.

FYI... The USDA adopted the regulations requiring that nuts be steamed or treated with a chemical in response to salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004 blamed on raw almonds that left some sickened. **** Those challenging the USDA scored a legal victory last week when a U.S. Court of Appeals judge ruled they could proceed with a lawsuit challenging the regulations. The almond producers, not all of whom are organic, said the rules have sabotaged their businesses by not allowing them to compete with foreign-produced raw almonds. They also objected to requirements that they steam the nuts or spray them with propylene oxide, which is widely used but concerns some farmers because it has been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a probable carcinogen. The EPA allows the use of PPO, as it is known, in small amounts not believed to harm human health. Michael Jarvis, a spokesman for the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Services, said the federal government is reviewing the Aug. 3 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Jarvis declined to comment further. The Modesto-based Almond Board, the trade group that recommended the rules, defended the regulations. "The food quality and safety program, including pasteurization, went into effect in 2007, and was developed after an extended, transparent process involving all segments of the almond industry," the board said in a statement. **** Growers note that while their almonds must either be chemically treated or heated by steam to about 200 degrees to kill salmonella and other contaminants, their products share the shelves at organic-friendly supermarkets such as Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Fresh and Easy with foreign-grown almonds that are not treated with steam. Raw foods comprise most of the 67-year-old entrepreneur's diet, and Schwartz describes almonds as a "gift of the California earth, air and water." He thinks it's the most healthful nut. "I feel I have all the energy that I need to accomplish whatever I have to do," said Schwartz. Growers note that while their almonds must either be chemically treated or heated by steam to about 200 degrees to kill salmonella and other contaminants, their products share the shelves at organic-friendly supermarkets such as Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Fresh and Easy with foreign-grown almonds that are not treated with steam. Some people believe the steam compromises the taste and possibly nutritional value of the nut _ a claim disputed by public health experts _ and farmers said it adds cost as well. California produces nearly all of the nation's almonds and 85 percent of the world's supply, according to the Almond Board. Organics represents a small percentage of that total, but it has been growing. Some public health experts said even if raw organic almond producers don't subject their almonds to pasteurization, the nuts might be safer than conventionally produced almonds because the organic farms don't use pesticides and often are careful about exposing their crop to contaminants such as animal waste because that could threaten their organic certification. Dr. Robert S. Lawrence, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said studies have shown that under 1 percent of almonds are contaminated by a variety of salmonella strains. He compares that to much higher percentages in some meats. "If the rest of our food supply were that safe, we'd be shouting for joy, so I can appreciate and sympathize with the producers who are asking to be relieved of this burden," said Lawrence.

this.

very easy to get carried away with nuts and under-estimate your calorie intake from them.

That doesn't sound like a great argument. Meat is cooked, which is supposed to kill salmonella. Unless "under 1 percent" means like .1%, maybe people in high-risk categories ought to avoid unpasteurized raw almonds.

I've eaten them and find them hard to digest. I feel the same with almonds as I do with eating a steak. Imagine a ball of food in my stomach that mini-piranhas are trying to break down over a period of several hours. Not painful, but definitely feeling your stomach working overtime.