How to use Almonds to Increase Brainpower

by Kavit Haria

As amazing as it may seem, your favorite little nut, the almond, can help boost your brainpower, stabilize your mood and even relieve the aging process. It may seem that the little miracle nut has so much to offer you will want to incorporate it into your diet as often as possible.

The almond contains phenylalanine, this is little chemical is shown to work in conjunction with our cognitive processes and supports healthy neurological function. This chemical very easily passes through our blood-brain barrier and makes our brain produce our natural mood stabilizing hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine. These same hormones also help reduce pain in the body. While studies are still on going, it is believed that almonds may also help treat some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Almonds contain another brain boosting element called nutrientriboflavin as well as L-carnitine. This little chemical is important for the brain because it helps make it possible for our brain to metabolize acetyl-L-carnitinetransferase which supports choline metabolism. Our brain utilizes choline to prevent any neuronal degeneration. The L-carnitine that is found in almonds and other nuts also helps in the release of acetylcholine, which is essential for good memory.

Along with the brain boosting power of the almond it offers other benefits as well. Studies show that by adding almonds to your diet can help with satiety and prevent weight gain. No dangerous diet pill needed, just a handful of almonds a day. Purdue University researchers have found that two servings a day did not cause weight gain or decrease our body’s efficiency.

The almond can do wonders for your heart health as well. Almonds have been shown to lower LDL. The bad cholesterol that we really don’t want and is at times hard to lower can be handled with addition of a hand full of almonds a day.

Obviously, too much of anything is never a good thing, and eating to many nuts can lead to problems such as obesity. But incorporating a handful of almonds a day into your diet can prove to be beneficial to healthy mind function.