Dear Dr. Gourmet,

I've been told a snack of few plain almonds a day is good for me. I'm a 58 year old female diabetic with heart stents & a defibrillator taking Coumadin. In the past I've had a handful a day. Are Vitamin K levels low or high in almonds?

A: Dr. Gourmet Says....

You're right that almonds make a great snack. There's good evidence that they can help change your cholesterol profile by improving the good cholesterol (HDL) and also having a positive effect on the LDL (bad) cholesterol. Even though they are high in fat, the fats are the ones that are better to be eating.

Interestingly, having a handful as a snack has not been shown to cause weight gain when compared to eating other snacks like chips, crackers or muffins.

There is essentially no Vitamin K in almonds.

Thanks for writing,

Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!

Dr. Gourmet