Bitter Almonds: To eat or not to eat?

Almonds are a potent nut because they are loaded with beneficial fats, protein, fibre, magnesium, vitamin E, phosphorus, and even copper. You might find bitter almonds in a bag of almonds; they are identical in size, shape, and colour to regular almonds. Regrettably, you cannot tell if an almond is bitter by looking at it, but you can tell when you taste one.

What makes bitter almonds bitter if they have the same nutritional profile as regular almonds?

There is a tiny quantity of amygdalin in bitter almonds, and when consumed by the body, this substance can degrade into cyanide. As amygdalin content varies from almond to almond, eating bitter almonds can be harmful and even fatal.

In a nutshell, it is better to spit out bitter almonds if you have eaten them.

A study published in the journal ‘Clinical Toxicology’ in 2011 found that the ingestion of bitter almonds by a group of 10 adults led to the production of cyanide in the body, resulting in various symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, and confusion.

The study concluded that ‘ingestion of a significant amount of bitter almonds can be toxic and potentially lethal.’