Almond puree - the all-rounder (guest post by Urs Hochstrasser)
From nutritional supplements to peak athletic performance, almond puree is a valuable companion. Find out more about the health benefits and culinary delights this product has to offer.
Guest article: Urs Hochstrasser
Healthy, rich in vitamins and valuable saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, with important proteins: an unaltered natural product and at the same time flavourful, delicious and versatile in the kitchen.
The Urs Hochstrasser organic almond puree in raw food quality from Soyana is not only an interesting natural product in the modern kitchen, but also an extremely valuable food in the areas of sport, diet and children's nutrition, which has long since proven its worth. The balanced high nutritional value of almonds makes this product particularly important in today's world with its immense demands.
Wide range of applications
Whether for refining dishes, making shakes, almond milk, sauces or desserts - use your own creativity and enjoy the organic almond puree just the way you like it.
Raw food quality thanks to a gentle production process
It takes special skill to grind these almonds so finely without heating them, as otherwise many valuable substances such as enzymes, vitamins, amino acids etc. would be damaged. would be damaged. The fat contained in the almond puree is also very sensitive to heat.
The influence of heat changes the structure of the fatty acids, even if this is not visible to the naked eye. The structure of the fats is sensitive and it is therefore important that this is taken into account during processing.
The almond - a precious gift from nature
Vitamin E and unsaturated fats are an ideal duo. Vitamin E protects unsaturated fatty acids from oxidation. Vitamin E keeps unsaturated fats stable and protects them from becoming rancid. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and protects fatty acids from being destroyed by oxidation. Vitamin E also has an important function in controlling the gonads and is therefore also known as an anti-sterility vitamin. Vitamin E is important for muscle and nerve function. It is also said to offer important protection against heart attacks, Alzheimer's and cancer and improve blood circulation.
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is a necessary component for the maintenance of carbohydrate metabolism (sugar, starch) and for the provision/release of energy. It is necessary to maintain the normal function of the nervous system. It is therefore also known as the mood vitamin.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is involved in metabolic processes for energy production. It is necessary for normal growth and haematopoiesis. It is useful for the maintenance of tissues, the skin surface and mucous membranes. It is also known as the growth vitamin.
Calcium is an important component and building block in bones and teeth. It plays an important role in the transmission of stimuli in the nervous system. Calcium also has an important function in the blood. It is used by the body as a buffer in the acid-base balance. However, the diet of today's people is mostly acidic in excess and represents an increased need for calcium. The alkaline properties of almonds also have a positive effect on the calcium balance in this respect. Almonds have a very high calcium content. Due to the favourable composition of nutrients, it also has far better availability.
Magnesium is known for its calming effect on the nervous system and its stimulating effect on the immune system. It plays an important role in the absorption of calcium and potassium. It also plays an important role in energy metabolism and is essential for normal muscle function. It is involved in the transmission of stimuli in the nervous system during muscle contraction.
Many people suffer from irritability, nervousness, fatigue or muscle cramps intermittently or regularly and for no apparent reason. In these cases, it is important to compensate for any magnesium deficiency. At times, however, there is also an increased need for magnesium, for example during pregnancy and breastfeeding, during adolescent growth, in sport and due to our fast-paced lifestyle with the associated stress. Organic almond puree is a natural source of magnesium here too. With its high magnesium content, it can cover 100% of the recommended daily intake.
The nutrients required to metabolise these fats and convert them into energy are already present in the almonds themselves. This ensures optimal utilisation of all substances and has no adverse effects. In this respect, nuts and seeds, and almonds in particular, offer a suitable and important component of the modern diet, especially in colder countries where ripe fruit and high levels of sunlight are lacking.
In addition, epidemiological studies by F. B. Hu, M. J. Stampfer indicate that regular consumption of almonds and nuts can help to reduce mortality from cardiovascular disease. Almonds also contain a very high proportion of folic acid, which is particularly important during pregnancy.
Lecithin is an important component of the nerve cell membrane. The high occurrence of lecithin is therefore noteworthy. It binds liquid with oil and therefore provides the cream-like creaminess in recipes that flatters the palate.
Almond puree has turned out to be a very interesting nutritional component in the sports sector. Dr D. Graham has proven in the USA that the real peak performance of individual athletes is only achieved when they reduce their diet to fruit and nuts. Bananas and dates were the favourites among fruits, almonds among nuts.
Saturated fats are those whose chain links are connected by ordinary single bonds with a pair of electrons, such as coconut oil. These bonds are quite stable. The situation is different for fatty acid chains which are linked to each other at one or more points by double bonds (i.e. by 2 instead of just one pair of electrons). This is referred to as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat.
A sulphur-containing protein such as methionine is very easily attached to these unsaturated binding sites, making such a fatty acid water-soluble. This is also exactly what happens when we thoroughly mix the linseed oil with the quark (which has a very high proportion of cysteine, methionine and 2 sulphur-containing amino acids) when preparing the oil-protein cream.
These proteins are also found in almonds or, in our case, in almond puree. Almond puree is so finely ground that it can form a bond with the alpha-linolenic acid in linseed oil and therefore has the same properties as Budwig cream.
The unsaturated fatty acids, predominantly alpha-linolenic acid, are also found in camelina, hemp, chia and walnut oil. Prepared with almond puree, this has the advantage that it is a vegan product and there is no need to take milk away from a cow.