What Is Almond Flour, How Is It Made? Benefits and Harm

Almond flouris a popular substitute for wheat flour. It's low in carbohydrates, packed with nutrients, and a little bit sweet.

It provides more benefits from wheat flour such as reducing LDL cholesterol and insulin resistance.

Here "What is almond flour used for?", "Where is almond flour used?" Answers to your questions ...

What is Almond Flour?

Almond flouris made from ground almonds. Almond, It is kept in hot water to peel off the skins and then grinded into fine flour.

Nutritional Value of Almond Flour

Rich in nutrients almond flour28 grams of XNUMX has the following nutritional values:

Calories: 163

Fat: 14.2 grams (9 of which are monounsaturated)

Protein: 6.1 grams

Carbs: 5.6 grams

Dietary fiber: 3 grams

Vitamin E: 35% of the RDI

Manganese: 31% of the RDI

Magnesium: 19% of the RDI

Copper: 16% of the RDI

Phosphorus: 13% of the RDI

Almond flour which is a fat-soluble compound that acts as an antioxidant, especially in our body Vitamin E rich in terms.

It prevents damage from harmful molecules called free radicals, which accelerate aging and increase the risk of heart disease and cancer. 

Magnesium is another food that is abundantly available. It is important for many processes in the body and provides various benefits such as improving blood sugar control, reducing insulin resistance and lowering blood pressure.

Is Almond Flour Gluten Free?

Flours made from wheat contain a protein called gluten. It helps the dough to stretch and it rises and becomes puffy by holding air during cooking.

Celiac disease Those who are allergic to wheat or wheat cannot eat foods containing gluten because their body thinks it is harmful.

For these individuals, the body produces an autoimmune response to remove gluten from the body. This reaction damages the lining of the intestine and swellingMay cause symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss, skin rashes and fatigue.

Almond flour It is both wheat-free and gluten-free, so it is a great alternative for those who are sensitive to wheat or gluten.

What Are the Benefits of Almond Flour?

Blood sugar control

Refined Foods made from wheat are high in carbs but low in fat and fiber.

This can cause high spikes in blood sugar levels followed by rapid drops, which pushes you to eat foods that are tired, hungry, and high in sugar and calories.

Backwards, almond flour It's low in carbs but high in healthy fats and fiber.

These traits give him a low glycemic index that is, it releases sugar slowly into the blood to provide a steady source of energy.

Almond flour Contains fairly high amounts of magnesium - a mineral that plays hundreds of roles in our body, including controlling blood sugar.

It is estimated that 2-25% of people with type 38 diabetes are magnesium deficient, and correcting this through diet or supplements can significantly reduce blood sugar and improve insulin function.

Almond flourThe ability to improve insulin function may also apply to people with low magnesium levels or normal magnesium levels but without overweight type 2 diabetes.

Cancer treatment

Almond flouris one of the cancer-fighting flours. Flour, which is high in antioxidants, can prevent cancer by reducing cell damage due to oxidation. Studies also indicate that it has an effect on reducing colon cancer symptoms.

Heart health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

High blood pressure and "bad" LDL cholesterol levels are risk markers for heart disease.

What we eat can have a significant impact on blood pressure and LDL cholesterol; Many studies show that almonds can be quite beneficial for both.

An analysis of five studies involving 142 people found that those who ate more almonds experienced an average decrease in LDL cholesterol of 5,79 mg / dl.

While this finding is promising, it may be due to factors other than simply eating more almonds.

For example, participants in five studies did not follow the same diet. Therefore, weight loss, which is also linked to low LDL cholesterol, could differ between studies.

Additionally, magnesium deficiencies have been linked to high blood pressure in both experimental and observational studies, and almonds are a great source of magnesium.

While several studies show that correcting these shortcomings can help lower blood pressure, they are not consistent. More research is needed in this area to draw stronger conclusions.

Energy level

It is known that almonds provide a continuous release of energy. This means that unlike wheat flour, which instantly raises glucose levels, almond flour slowly releases sugar into the blood to provide energy throughout the day. You will feel lighter and more energetic at the end.

Digestion

Almond flourIt is rich in dietary fiber that helps with better digestion and smooth bowel movements. It is also lightweight, reducing the feeling of bloating and heaviness.

Bone Health

Almonds support bone health, calcium It is rich in terms. One cup with about 90 almonds almond flour makes.

Using this flour regularly increases calcium levels in the body and strengthens bones. Vitamin E, which is abundant in its content, also contributes to bone health.

Cell damage

Almond is a rich source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin as well as an antioxidant.

Almond flourWhen used regularly, it provides the body with this antioxidant that helps reduce oxidative stress in cells. It fights free radicals and reduces cell damage.

What Are the Damages of Almond Flour?

Almond flourAlthough beneficial due to its low carbohydrate content, there are some health risks to overeating this flour.

At least 1 almonds are needed to make 90 cup of almond flour. This can cause an increase in minerals and vitamins, which can cause serious health complications.

- extreme use of almond flour It can cause weight gain and obesity.

- Using almond flour in higher amounts than recommended may cause inflammation and increase in cholesterol.

Making Almond Flour

Materials

- 1 cup of almonds

Almond Flour Preparation

Boil the almonds in water for about two minutes.

- After cooling, remove the skins and dry.

- Put the almonds in the blender.

- Do not run for a long time at a time, only run for a few seconds each time.

- If your recipe requires other flour or sugar, add some of them as you grind the almonds.

- Put the freshly prepared flour in an airtight container and cover.

- When not in use, keep the container in the refrigerator.

- Flour should be stored in a cold and dark place.

How to Store Almond Flour?

Almond flour When refrigerated, it has a shelf life of approximately 4-6 months. However, if you store the flour in the freezer, it can last up to a year. If it is frozen, you will need to bring the required amount to room temperature before use.

What to Make with Almond Flour?

Almond flourIt is easy to use. In most recipes, you can replace the regular wheat flour with this flour. It can be used instead of breadcrumbs to coat meat such as fish, chicken and beef.

The disadvantage of using this flour as a substitute for wheat flour is that cooked foods do not rise and are more dense.

The reason is that the gluten in wheat flour helps the dough stretch and creates more air bubbles that help baked foods rise.

Comparison of Almond Flour with Other Flours

Many people use almond flour to replace popular alternatives like wheat and coconut flour. Here are the popular flours and almond flourComparison of…

Wheat flour

Almond flour It is much lower in carbohydrates than wheat flour, but higher in fat.

This means it has higher calories. However, it compensates for this with its nutritiousness.

28 gram almond flour It provides a good amount of daily vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, and fiber.

Almond flour It is gluten-free but not wheat flour, so it's a great option for people with celiac disease or wheat intolerance.

In baking, almond flour can usually replace wheat flour in a 1: 1 ratio, but baked goods made with it are flatter and denser because they do not contain gluten.

Phytic acid, an antinutrient, is higher in wheat flours than almond flour, resulting in less absorption of nutrients from food.

It binds to nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron and reduces the extent to which it is absorbed by the intestines.

Despite the naturally high content of phytic acid in the skin of almonds, because it loses its peel in the bleaching process. almond flourthere is no phytic acid.

Coconut flour

Wheat flour comic coconut flourin almond flourThere is more carbohydrate and less fat than.

It also contains less calories than almond flour but almond flour provides more vitamins and minerals.

Home almond flour Coconut flour is also gluten-free, but it is more difficult to cook coconut flour as it absorbs moisture very well and can make the texture of baked goods dry and crumbly.

This means that you may need to add more liquid to the recipes when using coconut flour.

Coconut flour in terms of phytic acid almond flourhigher than, which can reduce the nutrients the body can absorb from the foods that contain it.

As a result;

Almond flouris an excellent alternative to wheat-based flours. It is nutritious and has many potential health benefits such as heart disease and blood sugar control.

It is also gluten-free, so those with celiac disease or wheat allergy can easily use it.