by Lani Muelrath, M.A.
According to a recent study published by the British Journal of Nutrition, eating a small handful of almonds daily can powerfully protect one against appetite surges, increase satiety -thus enhancing weight control – as well as lower LDL cholesterol.
I always have a jar of raw almonds in my fridge and most days will enjoy a few as an appetizer before a meal. For some time I have been aware of their strong nutritional profile and blood sugar stabilizing qualities. Thus, I am always pleased to read about new research underscoring the benefits of this relatively unmined gem.
As a matter of fact, "the researchers found that when people were eating the 344 calories worth of almonds every day they were, in total, only taking in an extra 77 calories. This is because the participants naturally compensate for the great majority of the calories in almonds, about 74 percent, as they found them to be satiating, or satisfying. A further portion of these extra daily 77 calories was offset because the fibre structure of almonds blocked the fat in almonds from being fully absorbed." (Medical News Today)
Almonds are also an excellent dietary source of vitamin E, magnesium, and fatty acids. This contributes to the satiety factor of nibbling some almonts daily as a nutritional boost AND as a natural appetite management tool. The deep nutrition and dietary fiber in almonds are a powerful dietary ally!
Some personal commentary? When it comes right down to it, studies such as this underscore the value of whole, unprocessed, natural foods and the nutrient density of same. With almonds, you are enjoying a tidy package of quality fats, protein, fiber, and micronutrients. Let this be a guiding light for other elements of your dietary intake.
Read the overview of the British Journal of Nutrition almond study here:
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Filed under Fiber Health Facts, Healthy Foods, Men's Health, Vitamin E, Weight Loss by on Aug 9th, 2008. 1 Comment. 
Most vitamin E supplements contain synthetic alpha-tocopherol, but unlike some other vitamins, the synthetic form is not identical to the natural form of Vitamin E. Supplements are labelled d-alpha for natural and dl-alpha for synthetic. If the label lists "dl-alpha-tocopherol", it's not the real thing.
"This is most clearly shown by comparing natural with synthetic vitamin E. Both have identical antioxidant activities, yet the natural vitamin E has roughly twice the availability of synthetic vitamin E". (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1998 Apr;67(4):669-84).
Japanese researchers found that natural vitamin E at 100 mg per day was not different from that of 300 mg per day of synthetic vitamin E in seven normal, healthy women aged 21-37 years. (Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Mar;65(3):785-9).
It is important to know that there are several types of Vitamin E
Vitamin E is actually a generic name for eight separate compounds. Some members of the vitamin E family are called tocopherols. These members include alpha tocopherol, beta tocopherol, gamma tocopherol, and delta tocopherol. Other members of the vitamin E family are called tocotrienols. These members include alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocotrienol.
Both groups all blended together in plants and animals, which is why the best form of vitamin E comes from your food.
Nearly all of the clinical research on vitamin E has used alpha-tocopherol but high doses of alpha-tocopherol have been shown to deplete gamma-tocopherol.
Gamma-tocopherol concentrations in the blood have been reported to be significantly lower in coronary heart disease patients compared to healthy subjects, suggesting that the low gamma-tocopherol concentrations increased the risk of coronary heart disease.
Gamma-tocopherol has also been shown be important in the vitamin E protective association with alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer.
Alpha-tocopherols are the most widely used, but gamma, beta and delta tocopherols also offer important benefits.
Supplementing with mixed tocopherols should derive the benefits of both alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol, without creating an imbalance in these two forms of vitamin E. Supplements containing this wide variety of vitamin E forms are usually referred to as "mixed tocopherol" or "mixed tocotrienol" supplements.
Remember to take your vitamin E with some sort of fat or oil for better absorption as it is a fat soluble vitamin.
According to [Maret] Traber and [Scott] Leonard, this indicates that people who are taking vitamin E supplements only with liquids on an empty stomach are accomplishing nothing and getting few if any benefits from the supplements. The vitamin clearly is absorbed better if it is part of, or closely associated with the digestion of a food that has some fat in it." (David Stauth, Oregon State University, The Linus Pauling Institute 15/1/2004).
You can get the best forms of vitamin E through your food. Fruits, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, oily fish (salmon, mackerel and sardines), eggs, natural organ meats and nuts are good sources. Most of these foods give you the entire vitamin E family.
References:
Burton GW, Traber MG, Acuff RV, Walters DN, Kayden H, Hughes L, Ingold KU. Human plasma and tissue alpha-tocopherol concentrations in response to supplementation with deuterated natural and synthetic vitamin E. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Apr;67(4):669-84.
Kiyose C, Muramatsu R, Kameyama Y, Ueda T, Igarashi O. Biodiscrimination of alpha-tocopherol stereoisomers in humans after oral administration. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Mar;65(3):785-9.
PMID: 9062530.
David Stauth, Oregon State University, The Linus Pauling Institute, Study finds huge variability in vitamin E absorption, 15-Jan-2004.
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Kevin Flatt is a Freelance Journalist specializing in Natural Medicine. He is also the publisher of Natural Health Remedies. If you are searching for information on improving your health with less drugs and more natural therapy, then this website is for you.
Filed under Vitamin E by on Jun 23rd, 2008.
