Tag Archives: bitter almond

Beware The Bitter Almond

As part of the Health Nuts Project, the skeptical cardiologist has been evaluating walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds which he plans to put in packets and distribute to patients and readers.

Previously, we discovered that most raw almonds from the US have been fumigated with a chemical called propylene oxide and that roasting almonds creates potentially carcinogenic chemicals.

Consequently, after considerable searching, I purchased raw organic almonds from a company called NutsinBulk. These turn out to be from Spain (where pasteurization of almonds is not required) and are quite tasty.

As I was munching on one of these almonds I suddenly noticed an incredibly bitter taste causing me to spit the chewed almond out. My first thought was that this almond had gone “bad” in some way. Perhaps a mold had crept into it. Looking at the pieces I had spit out, however, I could see no discoloration or other visible difference from the “normal” almonds.

Subsequent experimentation has revealed that about one in ten of these almonds is incredibly bitter and there is no way to predict this from  the external appearance of the almond.

The Source of Bitter Almonds

The sweet almond  that we are used to eating in the US is produced from one type of almond tree (Prunus amygdalus var. dulcis) and does not contain poisonous chemicals. However, the bitter almond that I encountered comes from a different type of almond tree (Prunus amygdalus var. amara).

Prunus amara trees were likely the original almond trees but over time the sweet almond trees have been selected for and now dominate. According to the LA Times and Paul Schrade, who provides bitter almonds to restaurants:



What Makes The Almonds Bitter: Amygdalin

The source of the bitterness is amygdalin:


A variety of sources confirm that:


YIKES!!!When I read this I was shocked. Could it be that consuming 10 of these raw  biter almonds would kill me.? How could I distribute these potentially lethal edibles to my patients?

Amygdalin (Laetrile) , Alternative Cancer Therapy and Quackery

In addition to bitter almonds, significant amounts of amygdalin are found in the stone fruit kernels of apricots, peaches and plums. A synthetic form of amygdalin called Laetrile achieved great notoriety in the 1980s as a cancer treatment. Although research had shown the chemical to be ineffective, it was embraced by “alternative” healers who claimed it was a “natural” cure for cancer which was being suppressed by a conspiracy between the US FDA, big pharma, and the the medical community.

Steve McQueen, suffering from pleural mesothelioma sought the care of a delisted American holistic orthodontist practicing in Mexico, William Kelley. The NY Times reported:

In July 1980, McQueen secretly traveled to Rosarita Beach, Mexico, to be treated by Mexican and American doctors using Dr. Kelley’s regimen. He received not only pancreatic enzymes but 50 daily vitamins and minerals, massages, prayer sessions, psychotherapy, coffee enemas and injections of a cell preparation made from sheep and cattle fetuses. McQueen was also given laetrile, a controversial alternative treatment made from apricot pits.

Although we hear little about Laetrile these days, like most snake oil it is still promoted by alternative medicine. For example, The notorious quack Dr. Mercola still promotes the idea that laetrile is a safe and effective treatment of cancer on his web site with a post that has been viewed over 700,000 times.

You Can Die From Eating Bitter Almonds

Certainly, there is considerable evidence that Laetrile can be toxic or lethal but bitter almonds can also cause lethal cyanide poisoning. A case report describes a woman with colon cancer who turned down potentially curative surgery/chemotherapy and turned to alternative treatments including Laetrile.  A helpful friend gave her a bag of bitter almonds for their “medicinal properties”, whereupon the woman consumed a slurry composed of 12 ground up almonds with water. Within 30 minutes she developed  severe cyanide poisoning with vomiting, abdominal pain, pulmonary edema, severe lactic acidosis and  loss of  consciousness.
Analysis of the bitter almonds showed they contained on average 6.2 mg of cyanide per almond. It is estimated that a lethal dosage of cyanide is 50 mg or 0.5 mg per kg body weight, thus the calculation that 10 almonds could kill someone weighing  60 kg or 132 pounds.
My  Search For Healthy Almonds Continues
The small amount of cyanide one gets from consuming a single bitter almond seems to have little effect. (Although the Mediterranean diet nutritionist Conner Middelman-Whitney , who spent time in Europe and encountered bitter almonds occasionally says that she does remember a weird, numb sensation in the mouth when they were consumed.)  It’s extremely unlikely that one of my patients would consume 10 of the bitter almonds (without reflexively spitting them out as I did) in a short period of time.
When I have consumed them I noticed no adverse effects but after such an encounter I stopped eating the almonds for the day.
However, I’m not interested in testing that theory. (Ability to taste amygdalin or smell cyanide varies between individuals, thus I can’t be certain that the bitter taste would serve as a reliable warning.)
Therefore,  I’ve concluded that I’m not going to distribute these potentially lethal almonds to my patients and will be removing them from the Dr. Pearson Health Nuts Packages.
My search for non-fumigated, non-cyanide-laced , non-carcinogenic almonds continues!
Cyanogenically Yours,
N.B. Famous deaths from cyanide poisoning include Hitler and Alan Turing.