Almonds: a good way to keep the bulge at bay?
The number of new products launched in Europe containing almonds leapt 33% to 355 in 2006, while sales of bagged almonds also rocketed, according to the Almond Board of California (ABC).
The growth follows the publication of a steady stream of clinical studies suggesting that almonds could not only lower cholesterol, but aid weight management, said ABC chief executive Richard Waycott. "We had a record crop last year and it's 15% up on that this year. Demand is incredibly high."
Almonds have traditionally been used in sweet products, but they were increasingly being used in healthier products like cereal bars, he said.
The ABC is also hoping that health claims for almonds' cholesterol-lowering and weight management benefits would be approved for use in Europe under the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation.
A recent study conducted at Purdue University in the US showed that a daily serving of two ounces (57g) of almonds could be included in the diet without weight gain and could increase the intake of unsaturated fats, vitamin E, magnesium, copper, and other essential nutrients.
