An analysis of the effects of regular almond consumption on lipid profiles of adults across different BMI categories

Introduction: Obesity is associated with a variety of cardiometabolic complications, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia. The daily consumption of almonds has been previously associated with improving lipid levels in individuals at risk of cardiovascular diseases. Objectives: To assess the impact of almond consumption on the serum lipid profile of normal-weight, overweight, and obese individuals and to determine which group experiences the greatest advantages. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted at Central Park Medical College Lahore, from September 2023 to February 2024. The study recruited a total of 90 adult male and female subjects, with an age range of 21 to 60 years without having any gastric, renal, or hepatic disease. They were divided into normal (Group 1), overweight (Group 2), and obese (Group 3) categories, based on Body Mass Index (BMI). Blood samples were collected from each subject during the fasting stage. The subjects were subsequently instructed to ingest 50 g of almonds (without the rind) daily for 30 days. Lipid profile analysis was conducted both before and after supplementation and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: Group 1 showed decreased cholesterol (p=0.001), low-density lipoproteins (p=0.001), and very low-density lipoproteins (p=0.004), respectively. In Group 2, cholesterol levels were decreased (p=0.017) while in Group 3 there was no substantial change in lipid profiles (p>0.05) because of supplementation of almonds. Conclusion: The positive impacts of almond intake on lipid profile are more distinct in normal-weight and overweight individuals as compared to obese individuals.