Almond
Parts Usually Used
Kernels
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Almonds The almond tree usually grows from 10-20 feet high and has lanceolate, finely serrate leaves on thorny branches. The large flowers usually occur in pairs and are soft rose to whitish in color.
Where Found
Cultivated, especially in California, southern Europe, and the Mediterranean countries.
Medicinal Properties
Demulcent, emollient, pectoral
Legends, Myths and Stories
Shelled Almonds Almonds are blanched by putting them in boiling water and then into cold water. The skins are easily removed after this procedure. Called Pa-tan-hsing in China, this plant was brought from Mohammedan countries, but is said now to be grown in Kansu and Mongolia. The kernel is used for coughs, flatulence, and heartburn. As far back as 200 BC, the Chinese have used almond oil as a local anesthetic and muscle relaxer.
Chinese name is Ba Dan Xing Ren. If you find commercial soap products too drying for your face, check in your local health food store for facial soaps and cleansers derived from almond. The kernel from the almond plant provides us with one of the best face scrubs Mother Nature has to offer, as well as being an excellent emollient (softens skin). A recent study suggests that almond oil may help prevent heart disease.
At the Health Research and Studies Center in Los Altos, California, almond oil was shown to lower serum cholesterol levels in people who consumed it in place of saturated fat. According to the study, almond oil was a more potent cholesterol-reducing agent than olive oil! More studies are needed to determine if almond oil should be part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Uses
Historically, almonds were utilized in cosmetics and facial scrubs. Herbalists employed oil extracted from bitter almonds as a sedative agent and incorporated it into cough remedies. The oil from sweet almonds was traditionally used as an emollient for external application, as well as a soothing component in internal preparations. When combined with powdered sugar, sweet almond oil was historically recommended for dry coughs and hoarseness.
Early American settlers claimed that consuming bitter almonds prior to drinking alcohol would delay the onset of intoxication. Additionally, almond butter was traditionally prepared as a protein-rich dietary alternative to peanut butter, and almond oil was sometimes substituted for saturated fats in the belief that it would lower cholesterol.
How Sold
Nuts are sold in supermarkets
Bibliography
The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. Old Ways Rediscovered , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, published from 1954, print 1988 Chinese Medicinal Herbs , compiled by Shih-Chen Li, Georgetown Press, San Francisco, California, 1973. , Simon & Schuster/Fireside, Rockefeller Center 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine , by Dr.
A. , 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT. 06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. , Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. , Copyright 1988, published 1992 The Herbalist Almanac , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1988, fifth printing, 1994 The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988.
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