NEWS IN A NUTSHELL
New Study Shows Morning Snack of Almonds Offers Benefits to
Breakfast-Skipping College Freshmen
Almond snacking resulted in better post-meal blood sugar regulation and better preservation of “good”
HDL cholesterol levels.
For parents sending their 18-year-old off to college for
the first time, concerns about the food choices their
young adults will make once out on their own are real.
New and less healthy eating patterns tend to be the norm
for those transitioning to college life.
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In fact, research has
shown that 20 to 43 percent of college freshmen report
skipping breakfast, by far the most frequently skipped
meal among this group.
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That’s an unfortunate statistic,
because daily breakfast consumption may decrease
cardiometabolic risk factors including blood sugar and
insulin metabolism.
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A new study from researchers at the University of
California Merced, funded by the Almond Board of
California and published in the journal
Nutrients
, suggests
that for those college students who do skip breakfast, a
morning snack of almonds — the ultimate easy, grab-and-
go snack — is a smart option.
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Among predominantly breakfast-skipping college
freshmen, including a morning snack — either of
almonds or graham crackers — reduced total
cholesterol and improved fasting blood sugar levels.
But the benefits were greater with almonds. Those
who snacked on almonds better-preserved HDL (good)
cholesterol levels and improved measures of the body’s
ability to regulate blood sugar over the course of the
eight-week study.
In the study, 73 healthy, first-year college students (41
women and 32 men) were randomly assigned to one of
two snacking groups:
• Almond group, which ate 56 grams (about two ounces)
of dry roasted almonds, totaling 320 calories, per day.
• Graham cracker group, which ate 77.5 grams (five sheets)
of graham crackers, totaling 338 calories, per day.
Over the eight-week study period, consumption of the
assigned snack was supervised by researchers except
on weekends and spring break, when compliance was
monitored via text. Study participants tracked their
calorie and nutrient intake using a validated 24-hour food
frequency questionnaire.
Results showed that those in the almond group had better
measures of several glucoregulatory and cardiometabolic
health indicators, including:
This study, the first among a college student population, shows that
for those who skip breakfast, almonds are a good snack choice.
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A L M O N D F A C T S
