Years of research and proven farming techniques demonstrate almonds benefit personal health and environmental sustainability in many ways. By leveraging this information, we can bust seven popular myths about almonds that persist to uncover the truth.
Myth #1: Almond farming uses a lot of water.
For 20 years, California almond farmers have successfully reduced the amount of water needed to grow a pound of almonds by 33% via improved production practices and microirrigation technology.1 Over 85% of California almond farmers implement microirrigation to ensure effective water use at nearly twice the rate of California farms overall.2 Other tactics California almond farmers utilize to decrease their water usage are whole orchard recycling and using cutting-edge technology.
These tactics, among others, are efforts taken by the California almond community to reduce the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by an additional 20% by 2025.
Myth #2: Almonds contribute to weight gain.
Almonds contain soluble and insoluble fiber, which have been shown to help you feel satiated, so you eat less and stay satisfied longer after snacking.
Scientific evidence suggests that when eaten as a part of a healthy diet, almonds don’t cause weight gain and may have beneficial effects on body composition, especially in overweight or obese adults.3
Myth #3: Almonds contain a lot of calories and fat.
Almonds are among the nuts lowest in calories and saturated fat,4 while being packed with nutrients. A 1-ounce (28g) almond serving contains:
| 160 | Calories |
| 3.5g | Polyunsaturated fat |
| 9g | Monounsaturated fat |
| 1g | Saturated fat |
| 6g | Protein |
| 4g | Fiber |
| 0mg | Cholesterol |
Nearly two decades of research support the role of almonds in helping to maintain a healthy heart and healthy cholesterol levels. Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces of most nuts, such as almonds, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Myth #4: Pollinators – like bees – don’t benefit from almond tree growth.
Almonds and bees enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship:
- Almond trees provide bees with:
- Almond pollen – their first major food source of the year – which boasts 10 essential amino acids their diet needs.
- Nectar that contains a compound called amygdalin that reduces certain viral diseases in bees and supports their gut health.5,6
- Bees pollinate almond blossoms that eventually grow into an almond.
The almond industry is steadfastly committed to protecting bees. Since 1995, the Almond Board of California has been working with leading universities, researchers, and non-profits to solve the challenges bees face.
Myth #5: Almond farms are a monoculture.
Almond farms grow more than just nuts. Many Californian almond farms grow cover crops, which are plants that cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested. Cover crops help improve soil health, promote water infiltration, increase biodiversity and more.
Since its inception in 2013, Project Apis m.’s Seeds for Bees program has helped almond farmers add pollinator habitat to more than 95,000 acres of almond orchards, all filled with blooming plants for bees to enjoy.
Myth #6: Almonds are the only usable part of the crop.
California almond farmers are optimizing almond byproducts, which are the materials leftover from growing almonds, including:
- Almond hulls: Added to animal feed and used as a growing medium for mushroom cultivation as a replacement for traditional peat moss.
- Almond shells: Used as a feedstock to grow black soldier fly larvae, a valuable food source for poultry and aquaculture. They can also be burned, transformed, and added to post-consumer recycled plastics, making them stronger and more heat stable.
- Woody biomass: At the end of their productive lives, entire orchards are returned to nature by grinding up the trees and plowing them back into the soil.
Myth #7: Big corporations run almond farming.
Over 90% of almond farms are family-run – with many being multi-generational – meaning they really care about their farm’s future.
To learn more about the nutrition and health benefits of almonds, as well as almond sustainability, visit Almonds.com.
Sources:
1. University of California, 2010. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012. Almond Board of California, 1990–94, 2000–14
2. California Almond Sustainability Program. November 2020.
3. Almond Board of California. Almonds: Nutrition and Scientific Research. Almond Board of California. Updated November 2021.
4. Almond Board of California. Nutrient Comparison Chart for Tree Nuts. Almond Board of California. 2021.
5. JP Tauber, et al. Colony-level effects of amygdalin on honeybees and their microbes. Insects. 2020.
6. Ramesh Sagili, Oregon State University, Department of Horticulture.
