Why you shouldn’t eat bitter almonds

We all know almonds are super healthy. As kids our parents gave us a handful before school and now we pack them in our snack box. We keep chewing through the day, sometimes even the bitter ones that come in our mouth. While we may feel that eating a bitter almond is harmless, science states otherwise.

WHAT DOES IT CONTAIN: Almonds are rich sources of protein and fiber. But in addition to this, almonds also contain cyanide in small quantities. Cyanide, if consumed bit by bit, can turn poisonous for us. According to a study published in International Scholarly Research Notices Toxicology, almonds contain 25.2 mg of cyanide per kilogram of weight.

DANGER DOSE: A dangerous and poisonous dose of cyanide is 0.5 to 3.5 mg per kilogram of our body weight. Therefore, if we keep biting bitter almonds, it can turn toxic for us.

WHAT DOES CYANIDE DO? Cyanide begins with blocking our oxygen passage. This means that oxygen stops being transported to our cells and gradually our cells start to deteriorate.

HOW CYANIDE WORKS: There are various stages of cyanide working in our body. If our body has consumed less amount of cyanide, one may experience dizziness, nausea, breathlessness and rapid heartbeat. If this cyanide is in big amount, it can lead to serious repercussions like low blood pressure, respiratory failure and even death. If you feel the above symptoms after eating bitter almonds, immediately go to the doctor.

ALL KINDS CONTAIN CYANIDE: Both sweet and bitter almonds contain cyanide but the latter contain a greater quantity. So, if you feel that eating bitter almonds is being brave, think again.

TOO MANY BENEFITS: Having said that, almonds contain a variety of other benefits like monounsaturated fats, proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals. So continue eating almonds forever, but skip the bitter ones.