Almond flour

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almond flourAlmond is native to an area stretching from the Northern Indian subcontinent westwards to Syria, Israel, and Turkey. It was spread by humans in ancient times along the shores of the Mediterranean into North Africa and South Europe and more recently transported to other parts of the world, notably California.

 

The almond seed (or fruit) is not a true nut, but a drupe. It is actually the seed of the fruit that grows on almond trees, a medium-size tree that bears fragrant pink and white flowers. Like its cousins, the peach, cherry and apricot trees, it bears fruits with stone-like seeds (or pits) within. The seed of the almond fruit is what we refer to as the almond nut. Almond is available throughout the year, and is the freshest during the mid-Summer season.

 

Almond is a nutritionally dense food and is a rich source of the B vitamins, vitamin E, and essential minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc. It is also a good source of folic acid and potassium.

 

It also contain a large amount of omega-6 which is essential to your health, but in very small amounts. Moderation is key: a small handful of nuts a few times a week is a healthy solution.

 

Almond flour is basically grounded almond. There are two types, either regular or with reduced fat content. The latter one is a better option, as it has less calories and carbohydrates and its omega-6 content is also lower than the regular almond flour.

 

Health benefits of almond flour:

  • Studies shown that eating almonds lowers risk of weight gain.
  • It is rich in dietary fiber, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats, which potentially may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
  • Almonds are high in the same type of health-promoting fats that are found in olive oil, which have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease.
  • The antioxidants and vitamin E found in almonds can lower cholesterol levels and reduce heart disease risk.
  • In addition to healthy fats and vitamin E, almonds are rich in magnesium and potassium.

 

In the kitchen:

  • Almond flour has a sweet taste therefore it works well in breads, pastries, cakes, muffins, pancakes and creams.
  • If you replace wheat flour only with almond flour use one more egg than in the original recipe.
  • It does not contain gluten, making it a perfect flour for who is intollerant to it.

 

Warning! Almonds may cause allergy or intolerance, so make sure you are not allergic to it before consuming any.

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20
http://paleoleap.com/coconut-vs-almond-flour/

Questo articolo è disponibile anche in: Italian