ALMOND
Product No. P01104
Also known as Prunus dulcis.
Almonds are obtained from the almond tree, which blossoms in spring (preferably in temperatures of about 55 to 60°F). After the petals drop and the trees have become leafy, the first signs of the fuzzy grey-green ‘fruit’ appear. The hull begins to harden and mature, and in July it begins to split open. Between mid-August and late October, the split widens, exposing the shell, which allows the kernel (nut) to dry. The whole nut and stem finally separate and the hull eventually opens completely.
Throughout history, almonds have had religious, ethnic and social significance. They are mentioned in the Bible, and explorers were known to have consumed almonds while travelling the ‘Silk Road’ between Asia and the Mediterranean. At an early stage, almond trees began to flourish in Mediterranean regions such as Spain, Italy, Morocco, Greece and Israel.
The Romans showered newlyweds with almonds as a fertility charm, and there have been documented findings that nuts were treated as delicacies of this time, because the cultivation of these foods was not as prevalent as today. By the 1870's, research and cross-breeding had developed several of today's prominent almond varieties.
Almonds are the leading food source of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E, the more powerful and absorbable form of the antioxidant vitamin. One research group found consuming almonds with their skins on had a beneficial antioxidant effect, due to a synergistic effect between almond phytochemicals in the skin, and the alpha-tocopherol vitamin E in the almonds themselves. They found that almond skin polyphenols are absorbed by the body and may have significant health benefits, such as the fact that almond skins keep the ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol from oxidising, a mechanism associated with the formation of plaque in arteries of the heart. Even at very low levels, when the almond skins compounds combine with the vitamin E and vitamin C from other foods, they can act in synergy and play a defensive role against atherosclerosis.
Almond oil, extracted from the nut, is a golden colour and is odourless - it is rich in protein, emollient and vitamin D. Almond oil is one of the most popular carrier oils for aromatherapy etc, because of its fine texture and ease of absorption - it is very versatile, forming the basis of many herbal skin care and cosmetics, and can be used on all skin types.
Sweet almond is also very lubricating and softens the skin, and it is said to give it elasticity, helping to prevent wrinkling. It can assist in relieving muscular aches and pains, itching, soreness, dryness and inflammation of the skin. The constituents of almond oil include Fatty Acids as follows; Oleic- 18%, Linoleic- 16.2%, Linolenic- 18.3%.
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