The smell of roasted almonds is inseparable from the Advent season: Roasted almonds are a winter classic that no Christmas market should be without. However, roasted almonds – just like almonds in general – contain many calories and should only be consumed in moderation. In small quantities, almonds are even healthy, as they have some valuable ingredients. Among other things, these can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Almonds: Calories and ingredients
Almonds are divided into sweet almonds, crack almonds and bitter almonds. Who enjoys sweet almonds or crack almonds in moderation, does something good for himself: because the high-energy snack fruits contain – like other nuts – valuable minerals and vitamins. Almonds contain calcium, magnesium and potassium, as well as vitamin B and vitamin E, among other things. In addition, almonds have a particularly high content of folic acid – which makes them a valuable food, especially for pregnant women.
100 grams of almonds contain around 570 calories, making them real calorie bombs. The high calorie content is mainly due to the fact that almonds consist of almost 60 percent fat. They also contain 19 percent protein, 15 percent crude fiber, 6 percent water and 2 percent carbohydrates. Incidentally, roasted almonds have a similar number of calories as natural almonds, but their ingredients differ: because roasted almonds consist largely of carbohydrates – and here mainly sugar.
Almonds: Healthy indulgence
Enjoyed in moderation, almonds can have a positive effect on our health in the long term. Because in addition to healthy ingredients such as vitamins and minerals, almonds also have many essential fatty acids to offer: Essential fatty acids are fatty acids that the body cannot produce itself and must therefore be ingested through food. Among other things, they have an effect on hair, toenails and fingernails, and skin.
In addition, essential fatty acids are also important for important processes in the body, such as digestion, the immune system and various cardiovascular functions. Anyone who consumes 20 grams of almonds daily can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by half. In addition, the healthy almonds can also affect our cholesterol levels, as they are believed to have a cholesterol-lowering effect. Studies have shown that regular, moderate consumption of almonds leads to a significant reduction in LDL cholesterol.
Almonds are good for the skin
Almonds are not only delicious, but they are also good for skin care. For example, almond oil is included in many skin care products because it is mild and replenishing. The most important ingredients of almond oil include linoleic acid and palmitic acid. Palmitic acid protects the skin, while linoleic acid makes it soft and supple. In addition, almond oil moisturizes the skin.
Tip: For an almond milk bath, mix two tablespoons of ground almonds with 15 milliliters of almond oil and 125 milliliters of milk and then simply add the mixture to the bath water.
Versatile nut for baking and snacking
The common name “almond” mainly refers to the shell fruit of the sweet almond tree. This is imported throughout the year from California and Mediterranean countries and salted, peeled, natural or roasted presented in the trade.
There are also subspecies of the almond tree, the bitter almond and the cracked almond. While cracked almonds, like sweet almonds, have a slightly nutty and rather sweet taste, bitter almonds have a bitter aroma. Bitter almonds contain a harmful precursor of prussic acid (amygdalin) and are therefore not suitable for eating raw. Industrially, bitter almonds are used to produce flavorings, such as liqueur essences and bitter almond oil.
