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Dietary supplements · Almonds
Almonds in their shells

Almonds in their shells

Vincent van Zeijst · CC BY-SA 4.0

Strong evidence24 studies
How we rate

“Strong” = several concordant meta-analyses or systematic reviews. “Moderate” = one synthesis, or several controlled trials. “Limited” = early trials only. The rating is about the quality of the studies, not about how useful the supplement is.

Almonds

A handful of almonds per day slightly lowers LDL, total cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, and improves arterial flexibility; it does not cause weight gain, but changes neither blood glucose nor glycated hemoglobin.

Heart

Benefits

  • Cholesterol: −0.132 mmol/L of LDL in the largest meta-analysis (36 publications, 2,485 participants), with a decrease in total cholesterol, non-HDL, and apolipoprotein B that holds up in the highest quality trials.
  • Triglycerides: −6.68 mg/dL in a meta-analysis of 27 trials, with no effect on HDL.
  • Instead of a muffin: in 48 adults with high LDL, 42.5 g of almonds per day for 6 weeks lowered LDL by 5.3 mg/dL and non-HDL by 6.9 mg/dL, and reduced belly fat, without changing weight.
  • Arteries: as a snack for 6 weeks, in adults at slightly elevated cardiovascular risk, almonds improved arterial dilation and lowered LDL by 0.25 mmol/L.
  • Diastolic pressure: −1.30 mmHg in a meta-analysis of 16 trials (1,128 participants), with no effect on systolic pressure.
  • With a statin: 100 g per day for 4 weeks lowered non-HDL cholesterol by 4.9% in 48 people already treated, compared to +3.5% in the control group.

Precautions

Calories: in two trials, the almond group ate 253 kcal and 816 kJ more per day than the control group, without gaining weight nonetheless. Digestion: 56 g per day for 4 weeks did not change bowel transit or digestive symptoms in 79 adults. Limits: blood glucose: no decrease in fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin, or HOMA-IR in a meta-analysis of 24 studies; 56 g per day for 16 weeks changed nothing in adults with high glycated hemoglobin. Weight: the loss is minimal in meta-analyses (−0.38 kg and −0.45 kg); one year of almonds instead of biscuits changed nothing in the weight of 136 adults. Type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of 9 trials only reports a decrease in LDL (−5.28 mg/dL), nothing on blood glucose, weight, or blood pressure. Memory: six months of almonds did not improve overall cognitive tests in adults aged 50 and over; in a weight-loss diet, they did not do better than a nut-free diet after 12 weeks. Effort: a single trial, on 5 men, found better cycling performance two hours after eating almonds; this is too little to conclude.

Recommended dosage

42.5 to 56 g per day (about one and a half to two handfuls), up to 85 to 100 g per day in a few trials.

How to take it

  • Dose: 42.5 g per day in the one-year trial and in several cholesterol trials; 56 g per day in the blood glucose and digestion trials.
  • Instead of a snack: the trials replace a biscuit, a muffin or a pretzel with the same amount of calories in almonds.
  • Duration: 4 weeks to 1 year depending on the trials; the decrease in weight and hunger is clearer above 50 g per day for at least 12 weeks in a meta-analysis.
  • Calories: whole almonds, raw or roasted, and chopped release fewer calories than what the tables announce; almond butter, on the other hand, releases all of them.
  • Timing of intake: one trial places them at breakfast and as an afternoon snack, but no study in this supplement facts sheet compares the timings.

Did you know?

An almond-rich lunch reduced the post-lunch memory slump by 57.7% compared to a high-carbohydrate lunch in overweight adults on a diet.

What the studies say

  • This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluated the effect of almond consumption on blood lipids. The results showed that almond intake significantly reduced LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, ApoB, and the TC:HDL-C and LDL-C:HDL-C ratios. A nearly significant reduction in triglycerides was also observed.

    Musa-Veloso K, Gauntlett C, Geronimo K, Vicente I, Ho SPL. — Nutrients (2025) — View the source study

For information only: not a substitute for medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a replacement for a varied, balanced diet. Learn more