Almonds and Health Effects on Metabolism, Vascular Function and Cognition

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged between 40-70 years * Men and women * BMI between 25-35 kg/m2 (overweight and obese) * Being classified as having impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and/or impaired fasting glucose (IFG). IGT is defined according the criteria of the WHO and American Diabetes Association (ADA) as two-hour glucose concentrations of 7.8 to 11.0 mmol/l (140 to 199 mg per dL) during the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. IFG is defined as having a fasting plasma glucose between 6.1 and 7.0 mmol/l (110 to 125 mg per dL) and a two-hour glucose concentration below 7.8 mmol/l (140 mg per dL). * Serum total cholesterol \< 8.0 mmol/L (further testing is recommended for excessive hyperlipidemia \[serum total cholesterol ≥ 8.0 mmol/L\] according to the Standard for cardiovascular risk management of the Dutch general practitioners community \[NHG\]) * Serum triacylglycerol \< 4.52 mmol/L * No current smoker * No diabetic patients * No familial hypercholesterolemia * No abuse of drugs * Not more than 4 alcoholic consumption per day with a maximum of 21 per week * Stable body weight (weight gain or loss \< 3 kg in the past three months) * No use of medication known to treat blood pressure, lipid or glucose metabolism * No use of an investigational product within another biomedical intervention trial within the previous 1-month * No severe medical conditions that might interfere with the study, such as epilepsy, asthma, kidney failure or renal insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmon…