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reduction in wrinkle width and severity. The significance of this study, of course, was that almonds were not applied topically – this research was the first look at how consuming a whole food (almonds) could provide health benefits to the skin. "The results from this pilot study were truly groundbreaking as they highlighted significant benefits of almond consumption," said Dr. Goshgarian. "The study's results gave NRC the directional guidance needed to pursue a full study in this area that featured more participants and lasted for a longer duration," noted Kalgaonkar. The follow-up study, 3 also led by Dr. Sivamani, included a larger test group of postmenopausal women with type I and type II skin and lasted 24 weeks instead of 16 weeks. The study aimed to determine if a reduction in wrinkle severity could be reproduced among this new test group and sustained for a longer period. Skin pigmentation, or the rate of an uneven skin tone, was also investigated as part of this larger study. The study also set out to investigate the skin's microbiome – like the gut, the skin's surface has its own ecology, hosting an abundance of microorganisms that may be impacted by dietary intake and therefore warrants investigation. With the test subjects receiving 20% of their daily energy intake from almonds (similar to energy intake persons receive from commonly consumed snacks), postmenopausal women saw a 14-15% reduction in wrinkle severity by 16 weeks, and this reduction was sustained at 24 weeks. Researchers also found a statistically significant improvement in evenness of skin pigmentation among women in the almond group, meaning the contrast between dark and light skin patches was reduced. In addition to Dr. Sivamani's research, NRC sought to determine how almonds could benefit differing skin types. To investigate, ABC and NRC funded Dr. Zhaoping Li of UCLA to conduct a 12-week study of healthy Asian- American women ages 35-50 with skin types II-IV. The study sought to assess the impact of daily almond snacking on photoaging, or skin damage (often burning) caused by exposure to the sun, and the skin's susceptibility to Ultraviolet B (UVB). At the end of the study, Dr. Li found that though there were no changes to skin texture, sebum or hydration, almond consumption helped to reduce damage from UVB exposure among the study population, meaning a study participant was more resistant to UVB exposure and would require longer exposure to incur the same amount of damage as they would incur without almond consumption. California almonds: a trendsetter in nutrition research The California almond industry's research on how almonds impact skin health is truly novel. "To date, you will not find any scientific studies looking into the benefits of consuming whole foods – not topically applied or consumed via extract – on skin health," said Kalgaonkar. "We as an industry are leading the way and forging a path forward in this line of research. For this, much credit must be given to NRC who, under the fearless leadership of Dr. George Goshgarian, had the foresight to pursue and fund this research with the understanding of how these findings could impact consumption of almonds worldwide." "Food as a means of promoting skin health — the 'health from the inside out' idea — is of growing interest to those looking for options for healthy aging," — Dr. Sivamani 3 Foolad N, Vaughn AR, Rybak I, Burney WA, Chodur GM, Newman JW, Steinberg FM, Sivamani RK. Prospective randomized controlled pilot study on the effects of almond consumption on skin lipids and wrinkles. Phytother Res. 2019 Dec;33(12):3212-3217. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6495. Epub 2019 Oct 1. Nutrition Research Committee Stacked with Experts From MD to PhDs to industry members with extensive growing experience, ABC's Nutrition Research Committee is comprised of professionals who are pursuing the highest level of nutrition clinical research of California almonds to support global demand. ABC strives to form each committee – NRC included – with the brightest minds to best serve the almond industry. Meet the Members of NRC: Chair Dr. George Goshgarian is a retired cosmetic surgeon with years of experience who also grows almonds. Vice Chair Maggie Moon is senior director of Nutrition Communications at The Wonderful Company. Dr. Rudy Ortiz is a professor at UC Merced with extensive know-how in the areas of nutrition and clinical research. Christine Gemperle is a grower who also serves as an alternate on ABC's Board of Directors and is vice chair of ABC's Biomass Workgroup. Dr. Kurt Waananen is the research and development director for Blue Diamond Growers. Billy Ng is the senior manager of Global Regulatory Affairs at Blue Diamond Growers with expertise in the areas of global regulatory matters and nutrition. Almond Board of California 14