Almonds and heart risk factors in adults with high cholesterol
What it found
In adults with high cholesterol, eating almonds did not change HDL cholesterol over 16 weeks.
The authors say almonds may still support dietary approaches to heart risk factors.
What they found
Studies in people
HDL cholesterol
There were no significant differences in HDL cholesterol between the almond groups and the nut-free group.
Heart risk score
The Framingham Risk Score fell by 1.4% in the high-dose almond group and 0.6% in the low-dose group at week 16. The nut-free group had a 1.0% decrease.
Blood pressure
Systolic blood pressure in the high-dose almond group dropped by 4.7 mmHg, 4.1 mmHg, 5.1 mmHg and 3.8 mmHg after 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks. This was significantly lower than the nut-free group from baseline at week 8.
Belly fat measure
The nut-free group had increases in sagittal abdominal diameter of 4.0% and 2.7% after 4 and 8 weeks. The almond groups did not.
What the authors conclude
“Findings suggest almond consumption may support dietary strategies for improving CVD risk factors in adults with hypercholesterolemia.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the findings suggest almond consumption may support dietary strategies for improving heart disease risk factors in adults with high cholesterol.
How it was done
Diet changes are recommended for people with high cholesterol to lower heart disease risk. Almonds are known to help some heart risk factors, but their effect on HDL cholesterol is less clear.
Adults with high cholesterol were split into three groups of 25 each: 1.5 oz of almonds a day, 2.5 oz of almonds a day, or a nut-free diet with cookies matched for calories to the low-dose almond group. They followed their assigned diet for 16 weeks, with checks at the start and at weeks 4, 8, 12 and 16.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial was in adults with high cholesterol, so the results may not apply to other groups.
- It ran for 16 weeks, so it cannot show what happens over a longer period.
The paper
- Title
- Almond Consumption on HDL Cholesterol and CVD Risk Factors in Adults with High Cholesterol: A Randomized, Comparator-Controlled Trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Doma KM, Moulin M, Crowley DC, Guthrie N, Lewis ED (2025). Almond Consumption on HDL Cholesterol and CVD Risk Factors in Adults with High Cholesterol: A Randomized, Comparator-Controlled Trial. Journal of medicinal food. doi:10.1177/1096620X251378321PubMed 41060820DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error