Almonds are a fantastic source of antioxidants.
Antioxidants help protect against oxidative stress, which can damage molecules in your cells and contribute to inflammation, aging and diseases like cancer (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
The powerful antioxidants in almonds are largely concentrated in the brown layer of the skin (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
For this reason, blanched almonds — those with skin removed — are not the best choice from a health perspective.
A clinical trial in 60 male smokers found that about 3 ounces (84 grams) of almonds per day reduced oxidative stress biomarkers by 23–34% over a four-week period (9Trusted Source).
These findings support those of another study which found that eating almonds with main meals reduced some markers of oxidative damage (10Trusted Source).
