An Almond Tree Seed: A Nutrient-Powerhouse

ALMONDS



Pink almond blossoms Image courtesy of LoggaWiggler at Pixabay

Mature almond fruit Image courtesy of dfespi48 at Pixabay

Almond shells Image courtesy of dfespi48 at Pixabay

Hello, Everyone!
Almonds are one of my favorite nuts (seeds) and one of the healthiest of seeds in existence. Today, I refreshed my knowledge of details about the almond. The following are a few of the highlights that I read about this wonderful food, today.

• Almonds are actually seeds of the almond tree's fruit.
• The almond fruit tree is 'related' to the apricot tree, peach tree and cherry tree with their pit-like seeds.
• Almonds are, either:
• sweet almonds (prunus amygdalu var. dulcis), or
• bitter almonds (prunus amygdalu var. amara)
• Aaron's rod blossomed and generated almonds, as reported in Numbers, (a book in the Holy Bible) around 1400 BC
• Almond trees blossom in the colors pink or white 
• Around 1900 AD, the almond industry of California (USA) was established
• Almonds are California's top agricultural export
• Globally, 80% of all almonds are produced in California
• Franciscan Padres from Spain brought the almond tree to California in the 1700s.  (I'm so grateful they did!)
• Ancient Greek medical texts are among the oldest texts that discuss medicinal uses of almonds.
• In India, almonds are considered to be 'brain food' for children.
• Almonds are completely gluten-free
• The almond's lifecycle is several stages it goes through, from the orchard, before it gets to our mouths:
• Dormancy - November through February
• Blooming - Late February through early March
• Pollination - by bees for the almond trees that are not self-pollinating
• Maturation - March through June the shells harden and the kernels form
• Hull Cracking - July through early August the hulls of the almonds split which allows the shells to dry
• Harvesting - the middle of August through October almonds are collected from the trees

Then, depending on one's preference the almonds can be stored for later use or shelled, eaten
natural/raw or prepared in several ways, and then eaten.  Some of the ways that almonds are prepared for eating/consuming are as:  

• whole almonds,
• oval-sliced almonds,
• halved, oval-sliced almonds a.k.a almond slivers,
• diced/chopped almonds, 
• ground almond meal/flour,
• juiced as almond milk,
• ground for almond paste and almond butter,
• pressed for almond oil, and
• fresh from the sliced green almond hull. 

Nutritionally, almonds are 'loaded'! They are high in beneficial, health-promoting monounsaturated fats similar to olive oil.

• Almonds contain health-promoting phytochemicals
• They contain vitamin E, magnesium and potassium, which are great for one's heart. 
• Almonds have significant antioxidant power due to the combination of vitamin E and flavonoids they contain. 
• Whole almonds, with the naturally-brown skins, provide the greatest health benefits for the heart. 
• Also, almonds contain manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folate, and riboflavin, which are great for cellular metabolism and producing energy.  Besides those nutrients, there are several more!

Almonds are a source of oil comprised of:

• omega-9 fatty acid/monounsaturated oleic acid,
• omega-6 essential fatty acid /polyunsaturated linoleic acid, and
• a saturated fatty acid

which factor into making almond oil a superb emollient, protector and anti-ager for one's skin, and a scalp-nourisher, moisture sealant and glosser for one's hair.  Almond oil does, indeed, silken the skin and hair; it feels very soft between the fingertips.  If you would like to try almond oil, cosmetically, then try Fushi Wellbeing's Sweet Almond Oil Organic, my featured Amazon Affiliate product:

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• Cold Pressed, Unrefined, Bio Dynamically farmed & Certified Organic for maximum taste and efficacy.
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Or, try my featured Mountain Rose Herbs Affiliate product for a Certified Organic almond oil that is suitable for food.


For additional information about almonds, you can check-out:

• About Almonds, from California Almonds
• Almonds, from the World's Healthiest Foods
• Almond Nutrition Facts, from Nutrition and You
• and Almond Oil Benefits, for Skin from Livestrong

Thank-you for visiting, and for shopping here.  Enjoy this blog!