All about almonds: their benefits and uses

Where do almonds come from?

The almond is an oleaginous fruit that is very popular with the French. It comes from the almond tree, a tree from the East, and reached European lands in the Middle Ages. The best time to eat the fresh fruit is in July. It is at this time that it is harvested, before complete maturity, and put on the shelves in its fresh form: in a green shell, which encloses a white fruit, crunchy and full of benefits. The "dry" almonds are harvested in September and available all year round, in shelled and ready-to-eat form (cooked or raw).

How to eat almonds?

• In their fresh form: Between July and August, fresh raw almonds are available. Once the shell is broken and the thin, light-colored skin covering the fruit is removed, they can be eaten with blue cheese, fruit, in a salad or even as a snack. They are not meant to be preserved and should be eaten quickly, unlike their dried sisters.
• In their dried form: Dried almonds are harvested in September, shelled, stripped of their husk and dried. They are used in all sorts of recipes: sweet, salty, plain by the handful, roasted. They can be found in the form of powder, juice, cream or butter, which can be integrated into many recipes, and can even replace certain foods such as butter, flour or even eggs.
• As in a home preparation, you can discover our range of energy purees, composed of 39% almonds:

The benefits of almonds for athletes

Almonds, and more widely oleaginous dried fruits (walnuts, hazelnuts, cashew nuts...), are one of the pillars of the Mediterranean diet. They are rich in lipids, especially monounsaturated fatty acids (34.4%), particularly omega 9, recognized by European health authorities for their participation in the prevention of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular complications. These increase the "good" cholesterol (HDL) and decrease the "bad" (LDL).

The almond still has three major heart assets in its pulp, which make it a real ally of the health of our palpitant:

• A significant fiber content (12.5%), which have the property of capturing bad blood cholesterol
• A notable richness in vitamin E, which participates in the fluidification of blood and thus avoids the formation of clots, thus reducing the risk of stroke and infarction.
• Finally, their high magnesium content (270mg/100g, i.e. about 10% of the recommended daily intake in 10 almonds) contributes to the good contractility of our muscles (including the heart).

The Mediterranean diet has demonstrated, study after study, its virtues, in particular on the cardiovascular system, immune system or in the maintenance of cognitive abilities, but also on the prevention of certain intestinal pathologies such as Crohn's disease[1].

But that's not all this super fruit can give us, far from it.

• The almond is one of the richest oilseeds in protein (22.6%), which represents about ¼ of its weight. A good source of vegetable protein, especially for followers of the vegetarian or vegan diet. Its richness in protein makes it ideal for muscle recovery, especially during traumatic muscular efforts like a long trail on the Nord Trail Monts de Flandres.
• Its richness in magnesium, combined with copper and manganese forms a powerful cocktail of antioxidants, allowing to fight against the effects of cellular ageing: health of the skin, prevention of cancers for example. Note also that magnesium has natural anti-stress virtues, protecting us from its deleterious effects.
• Its low glycemic index (GI = 15) does not provoke a peak of insulin, and thus does not give the signal to our body to store fat.
• Low in sugar and high in fiber, they allow a good control of glycemia: taken as a snack, they ensure a feeling of satiety and avoid cravings due to blood sugar variations.

The two previous arguments make them an interesting and healthy snack for everyone, especially for people suffering from type II diabetes.

• Their vitamin E content, as mentioned, has the property of slowing down skin aging. An additional charming health asset, the vitamin B1 it contains helps maintain good elasticity and resistance of keratin (present in hair, nails and skin).
• Finally, their phosphorus content (510mg), coupled with magnesium (again), helps fight against fatigue, especially intellectual.

An essential ingredient in the daily life of an endurance athlete:

Lipids are particularly interesting in a framework of sport of endurance because they make it possible to bring a significant quantity of energy in a small volume of food. They also play a role in the thermoregulation process, which is particularly hard to achieve in difficult conditions (swimming in cold water, outdoor sports at low or very high temperatures, etc.). Magnesium, potassium and phosphorus are essential during medium to long term physical efforts. They play an important role at several levels: muscular function, acid-base balance, energy metabolism...

The almond is an ideal snack in the framework of a sporting effort, for the reasons mentioned previously and in particular for the maintenance ofa stable glycemia and the absence of cravings and slackness which result from it! A more stable and constant energy level ensures a longer and more qualitative effort, dear sportsman!

[1] Khalili H, Håkansson N, Chan SS, et al - Gut 2020

What products does Holyfat use almonds in?

At Holyfat, you can find almonds in all our bars as well as in our ginger, cocoa salt and cocoa chilli purées.

A pouch of Holyfat energy puree contains 280kcal on average, coming mostly from the almonds that we have incorporated! Very low in sugars (less than 3%, coming only from almonds, walnuts and cocoa for the cocoa recipes), rich in good fats, Holyfat will allow you to go further and further in your efforts without any slump. And in addition to enjoying the benefits of almonds, their gently roasted taste will sublimate this unique blend of oilseeds, MCT oil, salt and spices.

Nutritional values of the almond* (whole with skin, shelled)
*Data from CIQUAL 2022

Where do the almonds we use come from? 

We have 2 main almond suppliers who have been selected for their quality. Our first supplier is in Italy and the second in the United States. We choose one or the other depending on the availability of almonds.

So many benefits that they are in the history

The almond is the source of many legends, especially Portuguese or Greek, often evoking love and divinity. In France, a little story tells that Charlemagne, emperor of the Franks, would have made a stop in the commune of Mittelwihr in Alsace. After his departure, the peasants would have found a bag containing seeds of which they were suspicious. They decided to bury the bag with its contents. A few months later, the seeds gave birth to cuttings, and then to trees bearing fruit that was unknown in the region at the time: almonds! For more than 1200 years, these almond trees have been blooming at the beginning of Spring and have become a real tourist attraction.