text | Li Muzi
Eating whole almonds and almond powder has improved people's diet. Image source: King's College London
Research shows that eating a handful of almonds a day will significantly increase the production of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that promotes intestinal health.
UK researchers investigated the effects of whole almonds and almond flour on intestinal microbial composition. The study was recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Intestinal microbiota consists of thousands of microorganisms that live in the intestine. They play a vital role in digesting nutrients and have positive or negative effects on human health, including the digestive system and immune system. The mechanisms in which gut microbiota affect human health are still being studied, but there is evidence that eating specific types of food can have a positive impact on the types of bacteria in the intestine and the role it plays.
Kings College London researchers recruited 87 healthy adults who had dietary fiber intakes lower than recommended amounts and often ate typical unhealthy snacks (such as chocolate and potato chips). The researchers divided the participants into three groups: one group ate 56 grams of whole almonds a day, the other group ate 56 grams of almond flour a day, and the last group ate energy-matched muffins as the control group. The trial process lasted for 4 weeks.
Researchers found that people who eat almonds have significantly higher butyrate content in their bodies than those who eat muffins.
butyrate is the main source of energy for cells in the lining of the colon. If these cells work effectively, they can provide an ideal environment for the reproduction of intestinal microorganisms, making the intestinal wall stronger, non-leakage, non-inflammatory, and better absorb nutrients.
researchers did not observe significant differences in the time of intestinal delivery (the time it takes for food to pass through the intestine), but those who ate whole almonds defecate 1.5 more times a week compared to other groups. These findings suggest that eating almonds can also be beneficial for constipation patients.
trial showed that eating whole almonds and almond flour improved people's diet, and the intake of monosaturated fatty acids, fiber, potassium and other important nutrients in the other two groups were higher than that of the control group.
"Intestinal microbiota can affect human health by producing short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate." Kevin Whelan, the first author of the paper and chair of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at King's College London, said that these molecules act as sources of colon cells, which regulate the absorption of other nutrients in the gut and help balance the immune system. "We believe that these research results show that eating almonds may be beneficial to microbial metabolism and thus affect human health."
related paper information:
http://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac265
