Effect of Soaked Almond Consumption on Serum Lipid Profile in Young Adults: A Single-Group Pre–Post Interventional Study

Abstract

Background: Dyslipidemia is emerging early in the life course among Indian adults and is a modifiable driver of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). Almonds are some nutrient-dense tree nut rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), soluble fibre, plant sterols and vitamin E, and soaking almonds overnight is a widespread traditional dietary practice in South India. Whether a small, culturally familiar daily portion of soaked almonds is associated with measurable improvement in the lipid profile of young adults has not been well characterized in this setting. Objective: To estimate the change in fasting serum lipid profile after 8 weeks of daily soaked almond consumption in young adults from South India. Methods: This was a single-group pre–post interventional study conducted in the [Department of General Medicine/Biochemistry/Nutrition], [name of tertiary care teaching hospital/institution], [city], [state], South India, during [study period]. Sixty apparently healthy young adults aged 18–30 years consumed 20 g of soaked almonds daily for 8 weeks. Fasting total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG) and non-HDL cholesterol were measured at baseline and week 8 by standard enzymatic methods. Adherence and adverse events were monitored. Paired t-tests, 95% confidence intervals (CI) and Cohen's dz were computed, with p<0.05 considered significant.  Results: Participants (mean age 24.5 years; 25 men, 35 women) had a mean adherence of 91.6%. All lipid parameters improved significantly at week 8 (all p<0.001). TC fell from 194.29±25.57 to 178.14±27.34 mg/dL (−16.15 mg/dL; 95% CI −17.58 to −14.72; dz=−2.92), LDL-C from 120.55±18.57 to 107.44±19.30 mg/dL (−13.11 mg/dL; dz=−2.66), TG from 135.15±26.78 to 115.99±28.21 mg/dL (−19.16 mg/dL; dz=−2.74) and non-HDL cholesterol from 146.97±26.06 to 126.82±27.88 mg/dL (−20.15 mg/dL; dz=−3.52), while HDL-C rose from 47.32±7.08 to 51.32±7.04 mg/dL (+4.00 mg/dL; dz=2.18). Body weight (67.3→66.8 kg) and BMI (23.9→23.7 kg/m²) changed minimally. Only mild adverse effects occurred (12/60, 20%); there were no serious events and no discontinuations. Conclusion: Eight weeks of 20 g/day soaked almond consumption was associated with statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement of the lipid profile in young South Indian adults, with large effect sizes and negligible weight change.