Mental stress remedies: new study reveals eating almonds can help improve heart and nervous system responses to stress
It mental stress is among the psychosocial factors believed to contribute to the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). to heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of the fluctuation in the time intervals between consecutive heart beats, is an important indicator of the cardiovascular system’s response to stress and lifestyle factors, including exercise and diet, are thought to be may affect HRV. A higher HRV represents greater adaptability of the heart in response to environmental and psychological challenges, while a low HRV is linked to cardiovascular disease and sudden cardiac death. As part of a recent clinical study, researchers from the King’s College in London measured HRV in participants undergoing a mental stress challenge and saw better HRV data in participants who had replaced typical snacks with almonds for a period of six weeks. The study was funded byAlmond Board of California.
This new search result is part of the ATTIS studya 6-week randomized control, parallel-arm study in which participants with above-average cardiovascular risk consumed a daily snack of almonds or a control snack of equal calories, equivalent to 20% of the estimated daily energy requirement of each participant.
Mental stress, natural remedies: almonds help heart health
In this study, the researchers measured the heart rate (HR) in real time of the participants and the heart rate variability (HRV) at rest (lying down for periods of 5 minutes) and during a test Stroop (in which participants were asked to read colored words, eg say “red” in a green font) to simulate a short period of mental stress. In phases of acute mental stress, participants in the almond group showed better heart rate regulation than the control group, indicated by statistically significant differences in high-frequency power, which specifically assesses beat-to-beat intervals (a measure of HRV).
“This study shows that the simple dietary strategy of consuming almonds instead of a classic snack can strengthen resilience to the adverse cardiovascular effects of mental stress by improving heart rate regulation. We found that the stress-induced reduction in heart rate variability. heart rate was reduced in the almond group compared to the control, indicating a benefit to cardiovascular health. It is helpful to have a higher HRV as the heart is able to shift gears faster in response to the body’s demands, which means greater cardiac resilience and flexibility during times of stress. In the long term, this is beneficial for cardiovascular health, “said Dr. Wendy HallPhD, co-principal investigator (along with Dr. Sarah BerryPhD) and Reader in Nutritional Sciences at the King’s College from London.
Research suggests eating almonds instead of a typical snack it can decrease the HRV drop that occurs during mental stress, thus improving heart function. This dietary strategy has the potential to increase cardiovascular endurance mental stressalong with other heart health benefits of consuming almonds such as reducing the LDL cholesterol and improving the function of blood vessels.
‘These findings are particularly interesting right now, given the high levels of stress many of us are experiencing, coupled with the growing number of snacks due to work from home,’ said Dr. Sarah BerryPhD, King’s College from London. This new study was part of the trial ATTIS.
High Cholesterol and Almonds: Diet can help reduce “bad” blood fats
An article recently published by ATTIS also examined the role of almond consumption on the levels of LDL cholesterol and on endothelium-dependent vasodilation (measured by flow-mediated dilation or FMD), which is a predictor of cardiovascular disease risk. Years of heart health research – including a systematic review and meta-analysis – supports the inclusion of almonds in heart-healthy eating plans. Both ATTIS studies considered measures that had never been evaluated in clinical research studies that include almonds. While more studies are needed to confirm these findings, improvements in HRV and FMD suggest that almonds provide heart health benefits in a number of ways. Almonds provide fiber (12.5 / 4g per 100g / 30g serving) and 15 essential nutrients including (per 100g / 30g serving): magnesium (270/81mg), potassium (733/220 mg) and vitamin E (25.6 / 7.7 mg).
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