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Are bitter almonds good? Bitter almond medicinal properties and contraindications

Sometimes a person lives his whole life and does not know that almonds have two types: bitter and sweet.

In everyday life, we use it for the preparation of culinary products, in chocolate, in medicine, through cosmetic preparations, and we don’t even think about what exactly we use. In a good way, you need to know what bitter almonds are: beneficial features and contraindications. This knowledge will help to avoid serious health problems, and will help to improve the body and internal organs of a person.

The almond is commonly called a nut, but it is a fruit, just like a peach, apricot, or plum. It belongs to the plum genus. The Rosaceae family determines the unusually beautiful, fragrant flowering of plants. Almond groves inspired poets to write beautiful poems. It grows in Central and Southeast Asia, the Americas, southern Europe and the Middle East. The tree has been cultivated for thousands of years and its beneficial properties have been known to mankind since time immemorial. Recipes for chocolate, essential compounds, medicines, ointments have a long history.

How to distinguish between bitter and sweet fruit

There are two types of plant: bitter almond and sweet. Sweet - exactly the one that we are used to eating. But his brother cannot be eaten. It contains a large amount of amygdalin glycoside, which causes a rich smell of bitter almonds and is a toxic substance, as it decomposes into water and hydrocyanic acid under the influence of enzymes. If you look at the photo, you can see that the bitter fruit is smaller. Another difference is that the shell of the latter is much harder, while the sweet one can be chewed. A non-specialist will easily confuse them, outwardly the two species are similar.

Be careful! If you have nuts with a pronounced almond smell in your hands, then you can’t eat them raw, especially don’t give them to children!

Harm of bitter almonds

As mentioned above, bitter almonds contain so much

the amount of amygdalin glycoside, which is a poisonous substance, that eating even 10 fresh fruits can kill an adult. In many sources you can see different number: 10 to 50 nuts. This happens not only due to an oversight of the authors or their incompetence.

The combination of almonds and certain foods causes a catalytic reaction. It is enough to eat 5 grains and a cucumber pickled in vinegar, and you will need urgent qualified medical assistance or an antidote. Vinegar is the strongest catalyst for a chemical reaction in the stomach, in which hydrocyanic acid is released. But even if you eat this product on an empty stomach, then nothing good can be expected.

But there is a way to completely secure the nut - heat treat it, in other words - fry or bake in the oven.

Another indirect harm of almonds is their high calorie content, therefore, for obese people, eating grains is contraindicated.

Useful properties of almond grains

There are many useful properties in almond bones, which are due to

chemical composition. There are a number of elements of the periodic table here. Here, far from complete, is the composition of the product.

  1. Choline, riboflavin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, thiamine.
  2. Vitamin A.
  3. Vitamin group C.
  4. Tocopherol.
  5. Beta carotene.
  6. unsaturated fatty acids.
  7. High content of fluorine, selenium and iodine.
  8. Zinc.
  9. Lots of iron and copper.
  10. Sodium.
  11. Magnesium.
  12. Calcium
  13. Phosphorus.
  14. Sulfur.

The use of oil in medicine

Due to the richness of vitamins and trace elements, pharmaceutical products are made using bitter almond oil as a base. Treatment with such drugs should occur in compliance with the dosage - the oil also contains amygdalin, the treatment has contraindications.

The beneficial properties of fruits in the prevention of cancer, normalization of appetite, improvement of the genitourinary and circulatory systems have long been known. Sedative compositions are made from the oil, which normalize sleep and the general well-being of the body. 4-5 drops per slice of bread are enough to raise vitality, strengthen the body after a serious illness, and achieve a diuretic effect.

AT folk medicine the fruit is used for anemia and bronchitis. The cake of bitter grains was used to make an infusion, which was recommended for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Fruits affect the amount of sperm and are an excellent male aphrodisiac. Oriental healers knew this property and prescribed almonds to men for problems in the genital area.

Essential compositions with the addition of almond scent are used to treat chronic respiratory diseases.

Use in cosmetics

For cosmetic purposes, oil is used as a basis for dilution. Rubbing almonds rubbing into the skin improves it appearance, rejuvenates and cleanses. The ethereal version of the fruit is mixed with other beneficial ingredients and rubbed into the scalp to nourish the hair.

Summing up what has been said, we can conclude that bitter almonds are surprisingly useful product, but, in order to avoid problems, treatment should be carried out under the strict supervision of a specialist.

The almond tree or bush has a very beautiful flowers with pleasant smell reminiscent of warm countries. But you need to know that the fruits are not always useful. In ornamental varieties, the seeds should not be eaten - they are poisonous. This type of almond is often used to decorate the site, as it tolerates winter frosts well.

bitter almond

Almonds are bitter and sweet. Sweet is used for food, and bitter goes to the production of, for example, almond oil, perfume compositions. But in appearance they cannot be distinguished from each other. The only thing you can be guided by is the shell. In bitter varieties, it is very hard, and it can only be broken with a hammer. And sweet varieties have several types, ranging from paper-shell, in which the nucleoli are easily removed with your fingers, ending with thick-shell ones, which require special tongs for cleaning.

Sweet almonds, like bitter ones, are successfully used in medicine and cosmetology due to the high content of vitamins and other useful substances.

The bitterness in almonds is due to the glycoside amygdalin, which is part of it. Without processing, such a fruit cannot be eaten. Only 10 pieces will lead the child to death. But this substance volatilizes after heat treatment.

In addition, the use of bitter varieties, of which there are about 40, is not recommended due to the narcotic effect. What is expressed in hallucinations, drowsiness, toxic poisoning.

Since the gene that gives bitterness to the fruit is recessive, when pollinated with a sweet variety, only 1 out of 4 bushes will be bitter.

Almond oil is made from bitter varieties. It is used in many industries.

  1. In cosmetology, it is added to creams and ointments to achieve anti-inflammatory and therapeutic effects. It has regenerative and healing properties, and also normalizes the water and fat balance of the skin.
  2. In medicine, it is added to injection solutions, ointments. In this case, such oil properties as antispasmodic, vasodilating, analgesic, narcotic, antihistamine and sleeping pills are valued. Preparations based on it have choleretic and diuretic properties, and also help with anemia, skin diseases, exhaustion, neurosis and psychosomatic disorders.

But it is necessary to use preparations and oils based on this oil with caution, since it still contains a large amount of a dangerous substance, which at large doses can cause not only an allergic reaction, but also poisoning.

sweet almond

Sweet almonds are no less useful than bitter ones. In addition, it can be eaten raw, without fear of intoxication.

Distinguishing sweet almonds from bitter ones, apart from the strength of the shell, is very difficult without tasting them. And you need to remember that the bitterer the taste, the more poisonous substance is in the core.

The fruits are very high in vitamins and minerals. The use of almonds helps to crush small kidney stones and remove sand. It also improves the composition of the blood. Other useful properties include:

  • concentration of attention improves due to the content of iodine and calcium;
  • the walls of blood vessels are strengthened, and the work of the heart is normalized;
  • potency increases;
  • eliminate pain during the menstrual cycle;
  • due to the content of iron, phosphorus, protein and B vitamins, it maintains healthy teeth, hair and skin;
  • improves eyesight;
  • helps with the healing of stomach ulcers;
  • prevention of cancer due to the content of vitamin B17;
  • indicated for diabetes, as it normalizes sugar.

Vegetarians use it as a source of protein necessary for normal functioning organism.

But, despite the fact that almonds are very useful, its daily dose should not exceed 10 fruits for adults and 5 for children. And it is better to store it in the shell, in a cool dark room.

Traditional medicine recommends the use of bitter almonds for cancer to reduce malignancy, destroy cancer cells and stop the inflammatory process. The optimal amount of nuts consumed per day should be clarified with an oncologist, since an overdose can cause death from asphyxia. Before including a toxic product in the diet, it is necessary to study the contraindications. At the same time, sweet almonds do not have a strong anti-cancer effect.

Composition and useful properties

Bitter almonds have a strong odor, are small in size and hard to break the shell. The sweet nut is larger in volume, and is also cleaned without the use of improvised means. The healing properties of bitter almonds are due to the high content of vitamin B2, B17, fatty acids, tocopherol, potassium, magnesium and natural antioxidants. A complex effect on the body allows you to completely cure cancer in the first stages of the disease. And also the nut is recommended for preventive purposes, as it reduces the risk of developing an oncological process with a genetic predisposition to cancer.

The most effective compounds are cyanide and benzaldehyde, which form vitamin B17. The active substance, when the nut kernel dissolves in the stomach, combines with cancer enzymes and destroys them. It does not harm healthy tissues. Natural antioxidants block free radicals and prevent oxidative reactions in cells. With the dosed use of bitter nuts and the use of almond oil in cancer patients, the following improvements are observed:

  • relief of pain syndrome;
  • reduction of malignancy;
  • strengthening the natural immune defense of the body;
  • relief of the inflammatory process;
  • improvement in well-being.

How to apply?


Experts recommend introducing the product into the diet gradually, starting with taking one nut.

Dosages of bitter almonds may vary depending on the weight of the patient and the stage of the disease. But the optimal treatment is based on the following medical recommendations:

  • You need to start with 1 nut, gradually increasing the dosage.
  • Eat almonds daily.
  • The maximum allowable dose for an adult is 20 pcs. per day, however, with low weight, the amount should be halved.
  • For preventive purposes, you need to eat no more than 2 cores.
  • The place of localization of a malignant formation should be lubricated daily with almond oil 1-2 times a day. It is not necessary to press hard and rub intensively.
  • The optimal duration of treatment is 1 month, after which a break is indicated. You can repeat the course after 30 days.
  • It is better for children to give sweet almonds and treat the skin with oil, which relieves swelling of the lymph nodes and stops the inflammatory process.
  • Due to the high toxicity of bitter almonds, the patient needs to take blood tests before and during the use of the product. This is necessary in order to detect in time an increased concentration of cyanide compounds that threaten life.
  • Oil from bitter almond kernels is especially effective in breast and skin cancer. However, with constant use, the body becomes addictive, which reduces the effectiveness of the remedy. For the prevention and treatment of oncology, it is recommended to combine camphor and almond oils.

ALMOND SWEET AND BITTER

Almonds are the fruits of all trees that have a core covered with a hard shell. So you can call the stone of an apricot, peach, etc. But we will talk here exclusively about the fruits of the almond tree, which grows in Italy, Provence, Languedoc, Touraine and Africa. The oil contained in these fruits deteriorates very quickly and has a bitter taste. Almonds have emollient properties, they are refreshing, satisfy hunger and soothe coughs.

Only weak stomachs should not bother digesting large quantities almonds. As the almond husk ages, it becomes covered with a bitter dust that irritates the throat, causes coughing, and makes the almonds even more difficult to digest. Bitter almonds are not used for food; they contain an acid known as hydrocyanic acid, or hydrocyanic acid. It is the fastest acting and most powerful poison. One drop of hydrocyanic acid, falling on the tongue or in the eye of a bull, kills him instantly. This acid is prepared mainly from peach pits. If a person has been poisoned by hydrocyanic acid, but due to its evaporation or for some other reason, he did not die instantly, an iron preparation should be given to him. This should be done for any ailment associated with eating too much bitter almonds. Sweet almonds can be used to make a variety of delicious treats.

ALMOND CREAM. Crush 460 g of sweet almonds, add no more than three bitter almonds. Pour in the boiling cream and pass through a sieve, add the egg yolks and double orange blossom essence and let the cream thicken in a water bath. This dish can be garnished with sugared almonds. By the way, the best sugared almonds are made in Bourges.

SUGARED ALMONDS. The French name for sugared almonds, or praline, we owe to Marshal Pralen, whose chef invented this delicacy. Place 500 g of almonds, 500 g of sugar, a glass of distilled water in a frying pan, bring to a boil and boil until the nuts begin to crackle. Remove from heat and stir until the sugar stops sticking to the almonds. Remove some of the sugar, put the rest back on the fire. Stir until the sugar is completely attached to the nuts again. Bring the candied almonds to a dry state. Candied pistachios and hazelnuts are prepared in the same way. They are also kept dry.

ALMOND CAKE. Take half a liter of flour and add to it about 50 g of butter, 2 eggs, a little salt, 63 g of white sugar, 90 g of crushed almonds, mix everything by hand. Bake like a regular sweet cake and top with icing sugar.

BIG ALMOND PIE. Take 1 kg of peeled sweet almonds, rinse, crush, mix with 15 g of bitter almonds. Add candied lemon zest, angelica, candied orange blossom, some salt, 1 kg sugar, 17 egg yolks and only 5 whites. Mix everything, grease the form with butter.

Put everything you have prepared there, cover with oiled paper and cook in the oven over low heat. M. de Courchans advises - and I can only recommend the reader to follow this advice - to place near this sweet entremet liquid cream on egg yolks, into which almond milk should be poured instead of the usual one and which is boiled in a water bath.

GREEN ALMOND COMPOTE. It is prepared in the same way as green apricot compote, but before cooling, a spoonful of cherry vodka is added to it.

SMALL ALMOND CAKES. Peel 250 g of sweet almonds and 2-3 bitter almonds, grind them in a mortar. Add 1 egg white, 500 g sugar, some candied orange blossom and cream. Make the bottom layer of puff pastry 5 mm thick, cut into small pieces, as for pies. For each such piece of puff pastry, put the cooked almond mass, bake in a hot oven; when ready, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

ALMOND CAKES CALLED PITIVIE. They are made in the same way as the previous ones, but on top the almond mass is covered with puff pastry.

ALMOND COOKIES FROM BITTER ALMONDS. Mash peeled soaked almonds with egg whites at the rate of 4 proteins per 500 g of almonds, put in a ceramic bowl. Add 1.5 kg of powdered sugar. If the dough is too dry, add more egg whites. Put the dough in small portions on pieces of paper and bake in a tightly closed oven over low heat.

ALMOND COOKIES FROM SWEET ALMONDS. It is made in the same way as other macaroons, but 1 kg of sugar is taken per 500 g of almonds.

ALMOND BISCUITS. Take 250 g of sweet almonds, 30 g of bitter, 60 g of flour and 1 kg of powdered sugar. Separate the yolks from the whites of 12 eggs. Peel the almonds, grind in a mortar with the addition of two egg whites. Beat the rest of the proteins in a strong foam, and beat the yolks separately with a patina of sugar. Mix the whites and yolks whipped separately with crushed almonds to get a dough, add the rest of the sugar and flour there. Make paper molds, fill them with almond dough and glaze with sugar and flour on top. To do this, sugar and flour are poured into a sieve and this sieve is shaken over boxes with almond dough so that sugar and flour fall out like a fine rain. Bake the biscuits in the oven on medium heat.

Hazelnut, pistachio, chocolate, candied chestnut, rum, orange, lemon, pineapple and salt cream biscuits are made in the same way (Mr. de Courchan's method).

ALMOND MILK. Take 250 g sweet almonds, 1 liter hot water, 15 g orange blossom, 180 g sugar. Clean the almonds by wetting them with water from time to time. When you get a finely ground dough, dilute it hot water and rub through a cloth, then boil until reduced by half. Strain and let cool.

This text is an introductory piece.

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