Almonds & The Amazing Cancer-Fighting Powers

Breast Cancer

Almonds & The Amazing Cancer-Fighting Powers

Lately, almonds have become an incredibly popular way to help prevent cancer, but can they really help you fight off one of the world’s most prevalent diseases? The answer is yes! Almonds are full of healthy fats and vitamins, and they can help stave off some of the most common types of cancer. Read on to discover the top reasons why almonds are a cancer-fighting superfood that can improve your overall health and well-being!

It is astonishing that nearly 40% of cancer cases can be prevented just by modifying lifestyle and changes in diet. Cancer a lifestyle disease that affects different parts of the body is on the raise. Modern medicine can do so much, and also it becomes very important to manage the diet plan for any kind of cancer disease.

Almond’s role in Breast Cancer Prevention

Almonds and cancer prevention go hand in hand, but these tiny nuts also help to cure cancer. Scientists have discovered that almonds contain an abundance of phytochemicals, which are compounds found in plants that are proven to fight off free radicals. Our bodies create free radicals during exercise, exposure to sunlight, and even when we eat a lot of vegetables, so they can be quite difficult to eliminate. Fortunately, almonds can help with this problem by providing the body with more phytochemicals than most other foods.

One of the research papers says the following on the prevention of breast cancer:

The high con-sumption of peanuts, walnuts, or almonds significantly re-duced the risk for breast cancer by 2–3 times. This protective effect was not found with low or moderate seed consumption when compared with null consumption.

Soriano-Hernandez AD, Madrigal-Perez DG, Galvan-Salazar HR, Arreola-Cruz A, Briseño-Gomez L, Guzmán-Esquivel J, Dobrovinskaya O, Lara-Esqueda A, Rodríguez-Sanchez IP, Baltazar-Rodriguez LM, Espinoza-Gomez F, Martinez-Fierro ML, de-Leon-Zaragoza L, Olmedo-Buenrostro BA, Delgado-Enciso I. The protective effect of peanut, walnut, and almond consumption on the development of breast cancer. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2015;80(2):89-92. doi: 10.1159/000369997. Epub 2015 Jul 10. PMID: 26183374.

Almond is a nutritionally rich food. It is rich in protein, fiber, and healthy fats. It also contains several compounds which are known to have anti-cancer properties. In recent years, there has been a lot of research carried out to find out the benefits of almonds in reducing the risk of certain types of cancer. The most common type of cancer that almonds could help prevent is breast cancer. Research has shown that dietary changes can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. One study even went as far as to say that people who ate higher amounts of almonds reduced their risk of developing breast cancer by 40%.

  • One study has shown that a compound called amygdalin (also known as laetrile) present in almonds can actually have anti-cancer effects. Studies suggest that amygdalin kills cancer cells by triggering an enzyme known as the free radical scavenging enzyme.
  • Another study showed that drinking milk containing almond milk could significantly decrease the risk of death due to breast cancer. The results from this study were promising and showed that almond milk consumption could potentially reduce the risk of death from breast cancer by 30%.

Never buy packed almond milk! Learn how to make fresh and nutritious almond milk just in 5 minutes! read our post here.

Almond Milk

Simplest way of making wholesome almond milk!!
Prep Time5 minutes
Active Time5 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Drinks
Cuisine: American, French, Indian, Italian
Keyword: almond milk, almonds, nut milk, vegan milk
Yield: 10 Liters

Equipment

  • Grinder or hand held blender

Materials

  • 1 tbsp Dhatu Activated Almond Butter
  • 200 ml Water
  • 1 tsp Dhatu Turmeric Powder Optional

Instructions

  • Take one scoop of Dhatu Activated Almond Butter and blend with the water using a grinder or a handheld blender. That's it!! We highly recommend using Dhatu Activated Almond Butter to do this as it does not contain any preservative or additives. It is 100% pure almonds!!

Notes

Our almonds are activated (Click here to know more about activating almonds) before grinding it into butter. It is stone grounded and is made in small batches. One of the best ways to enjoy our almond butter is making almond milk out of it! Since it is all-natural butter without any additives or preservatives, oil tends to get separated and collects on the top of the butter. Please mix any oil collected on top of the butter before scooping from the jar. 
If you prefer you can add more butter than the recommended dosage, to make the almond milk thicker. With one jar of activated almond butter, one can make about 8 - 10 liters of almond milk!!Activated Almond Butter 1

In fact, a review of 19 studies found that people who ate nuts five or more times a week had a 20% reduced risk of dying from cancer, compared to those who ate nuts less than once a week

Almond’s role in Cancer Treatment

Almonds’ role in cancer treatment has been largely researched, and the benefits are astounding. The nut is rich in monounsaturated fats and vitamin E, which have been linked to lower rates of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

Almonds are also rich in arginine, an amino acid that has been found to boost the immune system and fight tumor growth. Arginine is believed to trigger the production of nitric oxide, which increases blood flow to the cells and helps them get the nutrients they need to fight cancer.

A review paper on the benefits of almonds, says the following:

A rat study showed that diets containing almond oil or
meal reduced colon cancer risk (Davis & Iwahashi, 2001).
Likewise, the antiproliferative effects of almond oil in primary
(Colo-320) and metastatic (Colo-741) colon carcinoma
cells were also observed in vitro (Mericli et al., 2017).
Although several human studies showed protective
effects of almond nuts consumption on colorectal and
breast cancer (Balneaves et al., 2006; Lee et al., 2018;
Soriano-Hernandez et al. et al., 2015), no clinical study was
conducted to explore the antiproliferative proprieties of
almond oil. Interestingly, massage with almond oil showed
significant effects on the global quality of life of cancer
patients. The benefits of almond oil aromatherapy for cancer
patients are as follows: reduced stress, anxiety, depression,
and fatigue, aswell as improved sleep quality (Chang,
2008; Corner et al., 1995; Kyle, 2006; Moradi et al., 2020;
Soden et al., 2004;Wilkinson et al., 1999).

Ouzir M, Bernoussi SE, Tabyaoui M, Taghzouti K. Almond oil: A comprehensive review of chemical composition, extraction methods, preservation conditions, potential health benefits, and safety. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2021 Jul;20(4):3344-3387. doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12752. Epub 2021 May 30. PMID: 34056853.

Vitamin E, Selenium, Folic Acid, and Fiber, present in almonds are recognized as cancer protective and help in:

Regulating cell differentiation and proliferation

Inhibiting chemically induced carcinogenesis

Reducing DNA damage

How to incorporate almonds into your diet

Firstly, please check out our post on the best way to consume almonds!

 A handful of nuts can be a healthy snack option, but you should also try to have some type of protein with the almonds. Protein will slow down the release of sugar in the bloodstream and also provide you with a feeling of fullness that is not often found in just nuts.

If you are on the go and need something quick, try an almond butter sandwich. Spread almond butter on both pieces of bread (you may want to toast the bread first) and top it with sliced apple or other fruit. You can even add honey or cinnamon for added flavor! If you don’t want such a sweet taste, sprinkle on some salt for some flavor!

Even Almond oil can be used in so many ways. Please check our post on why almond oil is so good for you!

Almond butter, toasted almonds, almond oil, and almond milk are some of the ways that you can introduce almonds in your daily diet.

What are almonds good for?

Almonds are nutritious tree nuts with abundant minerals, Vitamin E, Healthy Fats, and Protein. It is great for boosting immunity in general.

Can we eat almonds daily?

Yes, absolutely. Activate the almonds before consuming them daily. A handful or 4-5 almonds daily should not hurt anyone. If you have any medical condition, please contact your doctor for more information.

Is almond healthier than peanut?

Great question! both almonds and peanuts are good for health.

Is almond a fruit or nut?

 Technically almonds are classified as “Drupes”. Drupes are fruits that are fleshy on the outside and contain a shell covering a seed on the inside, just like cashews.

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