Almond
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Nuts and Seeds
Almond
Latin:
Semen Armeniacae Amarum
Origin:
The edible seed, or nut, of Prunus armeniaca L. var. ansu Maxim. (bitter apricot), Prunus sibirica L. (Siberian apricot), Prunus mandshurica (Maxim.) Koehne (Manchurian apricot) or Prunus armeniaca L. (apricot), a deciduous tree of the Rosaceae family.
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Thought to have originated in Asia and North Africa, almonds have been cultivated since ancient times in Assyria, Persia, and Greece. Ancient Romans referred to almonds as the "Greek nut." Almonds continue to be grown in warm climates, including the Mediterranean regions, South America and California.
The almond tree, growing to 9 m by 6 m at a medium rate, is somewhat larger than the peach and living longer, is strikingly beautiful when in flower. It is in flower from March to April, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade, and requires moist soil.
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The growing fruit resembles the peach until it approaches maturity. As it ripens, the leathery outer covering, or hull, splits open, curls outward, and discharges the nut.
There are two kinds of almond, bitter and sweet. The bitter almond is mostly applied for medicinal purpose. The sweet almond is the familiar edible type consumed as nuts and used in cooking or as a source of almond oil or almond meal.
The sweet almond is cultivated extensively in certain favorable regions between 28° and 48° N and between 20° and 40° S. The tree greatly resembles the related peach, with which it occasionally hybridizes. While dormant, it is nearly as hardy as the peach, although ordinarily flowering earlier, from late January to early April north of the Equator. The nut crops are therefore uncertain wherever frosts are likely to occur during the period of flowering. Sweet almonds mature only occasionally in climates like that of southern England.
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Modern growers pay more attention than they once did to propagation of approved varieties. Jordan and Valencia almonds come from Spain. Leading exporting countries of shelled almonds during the late 1970s were the U.S., Spain, Italy, Iran, Portugal, and Morocco.
Bitter almonds, as inedible as peach kernels, contain about 50 percent of a fixed oil that also occurs in the sweet almond, together with an enzyme called emulsin, which in the presence of water yields glucose, prussic (hydrocyanic) acid, and the essential oil of bitter almonds called benzaldehyde. When the prussic acid has been removed, the oil of bitter almonds is used in the manufacture of flavoring extracts for foods and liquors.
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In China, almond is mainly produced in the northeast, Inner Mongolia, north, northwest, Xinjiang and the Changjiang River valley. It is harvested in summer. The ripe fruit is picked and reaped, removed of pulp and shell and dried in the sun for use when raw.
Almonds are available year-round. They are sold in the shell as well as shelled, whole, sliced, or slivered. They are available raw or roasted, with or without the skin, and are frequently smoked or sugared and sold as snacks.
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Also known as Apricot Nut.
See also Herbs, Herbs for Relieving Cough and Asthma, Almond; and
Food, Fruits, Apricot.
Properties:
The whole apricot fruit is sour, sweet in flavor, warm in nature;
the nut is bitter in flavor, slightly warm and slightly toxic in nature, it is related to the lung and large intestine channels.
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Functions:
Moisturizes the lung, relieves asthma, arrests coughing and dyspnea (difficult breathing) and relaxes the bowels to relieve constipation.
Applications:
1. Treats coughs and dyspnea (shortness of breath):
Entering the lung channel, being so bitter as to be lowering and with its dredging, lubricating, opening and clearing properties, this food-herb can ventilate the lungs while sending down adversely rising lung-qi to such an extent as to arrest coughing and relieve dyspnea, so it is a major food-herb for the treatment of coughs and dyspnea. It can be used for a large variety of ailments with coughs and dyspnea when it is used in combination with other herbs according to each case.
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a) Coughs and dyspnea due to wind-cold:
This food-herb can be used in combination with ephedra and licorice, i.e., San Ao Tang, in order to dispel pathogenic wind-cold, ventilate the lungs and relieve dyspnea.
b) Coughs and dyspnea due to wind-heat:
This food-herb can be used in combination with mulberry leaves and chrysanthemum, e.g., Sang Ju Yin, in order to dispel pathogenic wind-heat, ventilate the lungs and arrest coughing.
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c) Coughs due to dry-heat:
This food-herb can be used in combination with mulberry leaves, thunberg fritillary bulb (Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii) and straight ladybell root (Radix Adenophorae Strictae), e.g., Sang Xing Tang, in order to clear heat away from the lungs, remove dampness by moistening and arrest coughing.
d) Coughs due to the lung-heat:
This food-herb is used in combination with gypsum, etc., e.g., Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang, in order to clear heat away from the lungs, purge away heat, ventilate the lungs and relieve dyspnea.
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e) Chronic bronchitis manifesting coughing, profuse sputum and short breath:
124 cases were treated with almond candy, made of equal amount (9 g) of bitter almond and rock sugar, twice a day for 10 days. The total effective rate was 96.8 percent in which 23 cases were basically cured, 66 cases markedly effective, and 31 ameliorated, as reported in 'Eating Your Way to Health'.
f) Chronic coughing due to deficient lungs and kidneys:
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Boil 250 g fried almond for 1 hour. Then add 250 g walnut and continue to boil until the water evaporates totally. Add 500 g honey and stir thoroughly. Eat 1-2 teaspoonfuls, twice a day.
g) For short breath and edema (abnormally large amounts of fluid in the intercellular tissue spaces of the body):
Fry 30 g almond with its skin and tips eliminated. Cook with rice to make porridge, and eat on empty stomach.
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2. Treats constipation due to dryness in the intestines:
Containing oil and grease, this food-herb is lubricating in quality, and being so bitter in taste to keep adverse qi flowing downward, this food-herb can relax the bowels to relieve constipation.
This food-herb is often used in combination with oriental arborvitae seed (Semen Biotae), bunge cherry seed (Semen Pruni), etc., e.g., Wuren Wan.
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3-10 g.
Decoct this food-herb for oral administration and it should be pounded finely for decoction. It could also be eaten raw.
Because of their mild flavor, almonds are used both as a garnish and as an ingredient in a variety of both sweet and savory dishes. Sweetened almond paste, called marzipan, is used to make candies and to decorate cakes. Almonds coated with caramelized sugar are called pralines. Almonds can also be made into almond butter, which is used in the same ways as peanut butter, and can be ground into a powder and made into an almond milk drink.
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Because of their high oil content, almonds can go rancid quickly. For that reason, it is best to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator where they will keep for several months. Almonds can be kept frozen for up to a year.
Cautions on Use:
Almonds produce hydrogen cyanide, a poison that gives almonds their characteristic flavor. This toxin is found mainly in the leaves and seed and is readily detected by its bitter taste. Usually present in too small a quantity to do any harm, any very bitter seed or fruit should not be eaten.
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In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide has been shown to stimulate respiration and improve digestion. It is also claimed to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer.
In excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure and even death. It is estimated that the lethal dosage for an adult is 0.5 g; for a little child, 7-10 pieces of bitter almond are enough to produce lethal intoxication.
Alpha-linolenic acid is a fatty acid found in many foods. Most, but not all, studies have found that high dietary or blood levels of alpha-linolenic acid correlate with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Concentrations of alpha-linolenic acid are high in almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, flaxseeds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts.
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Reference Materials:
'Shen Nong's Herbal Classic' :
"Abnormal rising of qi with thunder sound and inflammation of the throat."
'Notes of Changsha on Herbs' :
"Being dredging, lubricating, opening and clearing, this food-herb can disperse stagnation and send down adversely rising qi and it is good at dissipating stagnation to relieve dyspnea. No stagnation in the qi system can be regulated without this food-herb."
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'A Guide to Reading of Materia Medica' :
"Specialized in sending down adversely rising qi, the phlegm will be resolved and coughing will be arrested when the adversely rising qi is sent down. As it can lubricate the large intestine, it can be used for constipation due to qi stagnation in the large intestine."
Toxic or Side Effects:
Slightly toxic.
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Modern Researches:
The apricot fruit contains malic acid, vitamin C, carrotene, and volatile oil in which myrcene, limonene, terpenolene, geraniol, linalool and neral are included.
In the almond, there are emulsin, amygdalin and fatty oil, proteins, iron, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B and various amino acids.
The decomposition of the amygdalin gives rise to a small amount of hydrocyanic acid which can inhibit the respiratory centre to such an extent as to arrest coughing and relieve dyspnea. Any excessive dose may cause poisoning or even death to an adult. The oral administration of the amygdalin is prone to giving out hydrocyanic acid in the gastrointestinal tract, so it is more toxic than its intravenous injection. The apricot nut oil is so lubricant as to relieve constipation.
Almond also contains 'laetrile', a substance that has also been called vitamin B17, a positive effect in the treatment of cancer, but there does not at present seem to be much evidence to support this.
The apricot nut oil can inhibit ascarids, ancylostomi, typhoid bacillus and paratyphoid bacillus., http://www.100md.com