Have you eaten your ounce of almonds today? If the Almond Board of California has its way, we'll all be munching them daily -- and feeling good about it.

Recent studies show that eating almonds can lower cholesterol, and may be helpful in successful dieting. With a decade of positive research to report, the Almond Board gathered scientists, nutritionists, foodies and others at Copia this month for a day-long Almond Symposium to trumpet the news.

"Ten years ago, nuts were looked at as high calorie, because of their fat content," said Marianne Edge, past president of the American Dietetic Association. "Research is now showing their nutritional value." It turns out almonds are particularly nutrient-dense, delivering fiber, antioxidant vitamin E, minerals and protein along with monounsaturated "good" fat.

Read more about the beneficial effects of an almond rich diet at http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2005/11/01/features/food_and_wine/iq_3144831.txt.