Shelled almonds

Description

Almonds are foods that belong to the group of oil seeds, commonly called “dried fruit”. In the classification of the 7 fundamental food groups, oily fruits are not classified in a clear and distinct way. This is because despite being seeds, they are poor in starch and do not fall within the group of cereals and legumes (III and IV fundamental groups of foods); despite being fruits, they are poor in water, fructose, vitamins A, C and do not fall within the group of sweet fleshy fruits (VI and VII fundamental food groups). On the contrary, they contain a lot of fat and little water. The lipid profile of almonds is characterized by a very strong presence of unsaturated fatty acids; monounsaturated lipids are especially abundant (oleic acid, the same as extra virgin olive oil, present in quantities of 32% of the total lipids), but the content of essential polyunsaturated omega 6 fatty acids is also appreciable (linoleic acid, to the extent of 13% of total lipids). Almonds contain only 5% saturated fat and are cholesterol-free. The protein intake, if contextualized in the context of foods of plant origin, is quite high and contributes to making the almond a first-rate food in the vegan diet. The carbohydrate content is equally relevant and affects calories as much as proteins. Some vitamins also abound within the seeds of the almond tree: Water-soluble, such as riboflavin or vit B2, niacin or vit PP and thiamine or B1 Fat-soluble, especially alpha-tocopherol or vit E. There is no shortage of mineral salts, some of which are normally lacking in the Western diet; the levels of: manganese, magnesium, calcium, copper, phosphorus and zinc are noteworthy. Almonds (especially with their peel) contain excellent quantities of dietary fibre, a very useful nutritional factor for maintaining the balance of the intestinal bacterial flora and the proper functioning of the colon. Lately, the beneficial role of almond peel is emerging. This fibrous covering, in addition to being rich in prebiotic fibers, contains admirable levels of antioxidant polyphenols. In particular, the concentrations of flavonols, flavan-3-ols, hydroxybenzoic acids and flavanones, otherwise contained mainly in fruit and vegetables, stand out. Almonds do not contain lactose and gluten, which is why they are suitable for diets for related intolerances. They can be subject to an allergic reaction in hypersensitive subjects. Due to their high caloric intake (almost 600 kcal/100 g), dried almonds must be consumed with a certain moderation (no more than 10-15 seeds per day, which correspond to 20-30 g), especially by those who are still far from reaching his ideal weight. They have no contraindications for people suffering from metabolic pathologies; on the contrary, if used intelligently, they contribute to optimizing the parameters of lipemia.