Almonds are incredibly nutritious nuts with varied types of vitamins, proteins, minerals, and fiber. The flour made out of almonds has an inconsiderably sweeter smack, low in carbohydrates, and can be used as an alternative to wheat flour.
Compared to other flours such as wheat flour or coconut flour, almond flour provides your body with several health benefits. Such benefits may include the reduction of cholesterols specifically the low-density lipoproteins and reduce insulin resistance.
The flour also contains little phytic acids, hence the ease of sourcing added nutrients out of a meal prepared with the flour. Continue reading for more benefits of almond flour and why it overweighs other flours.
The Flour of Almond
As the name suggests, almond flour is usually made by grounding almond seeds or nuts. Before grounding, the skin of almond seeds is removed by blanching them in boiling water. Thereafter, the seeds are grounded and sifted into fine almond flour.
It is worth noting that almond flour is different from almond meal, in as much as they are used to refer to the same thing. Almond meal is simply made by grinding almond seeds without removing their skins. Additionally, the texture of almond meals is considerably courser as compared to finer almond flour.
Health Benefits of Almond Flour
1. Almond Flour Is Highly Nutritious
The flour of almonds contains several nutrients that your body would need. These nutrients maintain your health in the best shape and help protect you from tissue damages. Consuming just 28 grams of almond flour will leave you with the sufficiency of the following nutrients: 164 calories, 6.1 grams of carbohydrates, 14.2 grams of fat, 6.0 grams of proteins.
According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the same amount of almond flour provides the following in recommended daily intake (RDI):
Calcium: 1000-1200 mg of the RDI
Iron: 8-10 mg of the RDI
Magnesium: 310-420 mg of the RDI
Apart from the nutrients mentioned above, almond flour boasts of vitamin E. This vitamin has antioxidants that protect your body from fatal disease resulting from tissue damages.
A study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that vitamin E antioxidants have the potential to lower the likelihood of developing heart problems and Alzheimer’s disease.
2. Almond Flour and Diabetes
Preliminary studies by the National Center for Biotechnology Information have shown that almond flour can help lower blood sugar levels and reduce insulin resistance. Thus eating foods made of almond flour can provide a remedy to individuals with diabetes type 2.
Low magnesium levels are associated with the spiking of sugar in the blood and its deficiency can ultimately cause insulin resistance. Almond flour provides magnesium in abundance as compared to other flour.
Similarly, refined wheat flour is loaded with carbohydrates, but portioned little amount of fiber and fat. Conversely, eating foods made with almond flour provide the body with low carbohydrates and lots of heart-healthy fats and fiber. The rate at which sugar will be released into the bloodstream will be slow due to almond flour’s low glycemic index.
Coiled into one bullet, the high magnesium content and low glycemic index of almond make its flour best suited for blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes.
3. Almond Flour Is Packed With Lots of Antioxidants
As mentioned before, almond flour has high amounts of vitamin E. Therefore, antioxidants like tocopherol are contained in this vitamin. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, about 7.27 mg of vitamin E is present in 28 grams of almond flour. This translates to approximately 50% of the daily recommended intake.
Free radicals can get to a toxic level and damage tissues when they accumulate in the body. Vitamin E and antioxidants help in combating such oxidative tissue damage.
When your body undergoes some processes or in the case of environmental stress, free radicals are produced. Their elimination occurs naturally but effectively with the help of antioxidants in the diet. This helps you be free of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Almond Flour May Help Lower “Bad” Cholesterol
Scientists and nutritionists claim that low-density lipoproteins “bad” cholesterols can accumulate in the body when you eat foods high in saturated fat. Almond flour has heart-friendly unsaturated fats.
The American Heart Association believes that the cholesterol level of an individual may improve by eating foods containing unsaturated fats.
Additionally, almond flour has purely zero cholesterol content. Consuming almond foods may help increase and maintain levels of high-density (HDL) cholesterols. Try consuming about 45 grams of an almond floor in your meal to be rid of heart problems caused by “bad” cholesterols.
5. Almond Flour and Gluten
Gluten which is a protein is one of the active components in wheat flour. During baking, gluten helps in keeping the dough moisturized and stretchy.
When such a meal made with wheat flour is eaten by people with coeliac disease or who are intolerant to wheat, an allergic reaction may develop. This is because their bodies have treated gluten as a harmful substance. An autoimmune response is initiated to help eliminate gluten from the system. In the process, the individual will develop diarrhea, bloat, weight loss, and skin rashes.
Conversely, almond flour is free of gluten. This makes it suitable for use with those who find it hard to tolerate gluten. You should always ensure that the almond flour you purchase is not contaminated with wheat or gluten during the manufacturing process.
How to Bake With Almond Flour
Baking should not be stressful when you want to use almond flour. It replaces wheat flour at the ratio of 1:1. Just replace the same amount of wheat flour in your recipe with almond flour.
The difference in the foods baked with almond flour is that they will be kind of flat and dense. Gluten in wheat flour foods makes them stretchy and traps more air.
Almond flour provides the best alternative to wheat flour especially in people with gluten intolerance. It contains several nutrients such as vitamin E and magnesium. These nutrients help the body stay safe from medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Include almond flour in your diet to experience these benefits.