My last non-Nia post was about appetite suppressants, natural kinds. The first thing I listed was almonds. As always when I post something, even if I get the idea from somewhere else I like to look up facts for myself. I feel better if there are a few sources confirming what I post about. Often in my fact finding/confirming search I find other things, maybe other things entirely or other facts.
First of all the almond is a seed and not a nut. Always makes me laugh when I learn stuff like this because all my life I thought of it as a nut . . . still do. Almonds have a lot of fat, with 15 grams of fat per ounce, that is 23% of the Daily Value. But it is the monounsaturated fat, the kind that we need, but still not too much.
Per ounce they have about three grams a fiber. I think they are a nice addition to fiber you are already eating but should not be the only source as you would need to eat almost 4 ounces to get 10 grams of fiber. That would be 60 grams of fat.
Studies have shown almonds to help in lowering cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Almonds seems to have the ability to help keep blood sugar even which can help reduce the risk of diabetes. They contain vitamin E which is an antioxidant. The magnesium and potassium help with blood flow and blood pressure. Almonds are naturally gluten free.
Nutrient Values of Almonds: Single Serving (1 ounce)
Calories—–170.0
Protein—–6.0 g Daily Value—–12%
Carbohydrate—–6.0 g Daily Value—–2%
Fat—–15.0 g Daily Value—–23%
Fats
Cholesterol 0.000 mg Daily Value—–0%
Saturated Fat 1.5 g Daily Value—–8%
Mono Fat 10.0 g
Poly Fat 3.0 g
Carbohydrates
Dietary Fiber 3.0 g Daily Value—–12%
Vitamins
Vitamin E 10.0 IU Daily Value—–35%
Riboflavin 0.22 mg Daily Value—–4%
Niacin 0.95 mg Daily Value—–4%
Vitamin B6 0.03 mg Daily Value—–2%
Folate 17.0 mcg Daily Value—–4%
Minerals
Potassium 207.0 mg Daily Value—–6%
Iron 1.0 mg Daily Value—–6%
Calcium 75.0 mg Daily Value—–8%
Magnesium 84.0 mg Daily Value—–20%
Phosphorous 147.0 mg Daily Value—–14%
Zinc 1.0 mg Daily Value—–6%
Copper 0.27 mg Daily Value—–14%
From Nutfarm
According to Wiki, there are no truly RAW almonds grown in and sold from California:
Because of two cases of salmonellosis traced to almonds in 2001 and 2004, the Almond Board of California proposed rules in 2006 regarding pasteurization of almonds available to the public, and the USDA approved them. The almond pasteurization program became mandatory for the California industry on September 1, 2007, and was implemented voluntarily over the previous two years. Since September 1, 2007, raw untreated California almonds have technically not been available in the United States. Controversially, California almonds labeled as “raw” are required to be steam-pasteurized or chemically treated with propylene oxide. This does not apply to imported almonds, or to almonds sold from the grower directly to the consumer in small quantities. Nor is the treatment required for raw almonds sold as exports to countries outside of North America.
I found the fact that California Almonds sold as “raw” are not really raw to be very interesting. Hmmmm. So much of what food labels say is untrue and deceitful. I don’t know why I was surprised.
So in case you are wondering what “propylene oxide” is besides just the chemical that California Almonds are treated with. It was according to Wiki “a racing fuel, but that usage is now prohibited under the US NHRA rules for safety reasons. It has also been used in glow fuel for model aircraft and surface vehicles.” Yes, they use a RACING FUEL that is now prohibited for safety reasons to treat California Almonds. I think I would take my chances with salmonellosis. There were TWO cases of that, but now they are treating our almonds with a, yes, get this—-a “probable human carcinogen”.
It seems as if California Almonds might not really be that healthy after all considering they are probably being treated with a chemical that has “been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as Group 2B: The agent (mixture) is possibly carcinogenic to humans.” According to the California Almond Board:
PPO is also a surface treatment which has been approved for use on foods since 1958, . . . . PPO is very effective at reducing harmful bacteria on almonds and poses no risk to consumers. In fact, PPO residue dissipates after treatment.
Also according to the board Organic Almonds are steam pasteurized.
So I guess that “raw” almonds is the same as “No trans fat” on food labels. And along with all the other chemicals IN our food and used to TREAT, GROW, and MANIPULATE the very DNA of our food, there is no risk posed to consumers. Meanwhile Americans grow more obese and unhealthy and more and more drugs sold as medicine are being pushed upon the public.
I started this post ready to extol the benefits of almonds, but now all I can say is eat at your own risk, along with all of our food supply.
Terre Pruitt's Blog 