There is a saying that almonds can not be eaten more, eat too much will be poisoned to death, because almonds contain highly toxic cyanide, which in the end is how it is? Is there a highly toxic almond milk in it?

Almonds have a south, north of the points, the south almond flavor sweet, also known as sweet almonds, the main origin of Hebei, Beijing, Shandong and other places; north almond flavor bitter, also known as bitter almonds, more planted in the hilly mountainous areas. Toxic is north almonds, really can not eat more, and almond dew is south almonds, that is to say, made with sweet almonds do not have this problem.

North almonds have a substance called amygdalin, commonly known as vitamin B17, its structure is very special, the molecular structure contains cyanide, belonging to the alpha-hydroxy nitrile, this substance itself is not toxic, just into the human body by the digestive enzymes in the body to decompose, only to produce poisonous hydrocyanic acid, if you eat too many bitter almonds, the body of the hydrocyanic acid decomposition of amygdalin to a certain level, the person will be poisoned to death. To a certain extent, people will be poisoned to death. Therefore, it is not that almonds are poisonous, but they can decompose the toxic substance hydrocyanic acid in the body after being consumed. Many cyanide has a special smell, we often call it bitter almond flavor, so in some film and television works, when the detective solves the case, said at the scene of the crime smelled a bitter almond flavor, the initial judgment is hydrogen cyanide poisoning. But bitter almonds are not absolutely inedible, it is also a traditional Chinese medicine, is commonly used expectorant cough suppressant. In order to reduce the toxicity of bitter almonds, it should be concocted before it can be used in medicine. Bitter amygdalin is unstable by heat and can also be dissolved in water, which can be handled by boiling or frying in hot water and other methods.

Although it is called bitter amygdalin, but it does not only appear in almonds, many plants in the Rosaceae family such as apples, loquats, peaches, plums, prunes and other plants in the seeds can be detected bitter amygdalin, so why are these we often eat fruits without toxicity? Because, what we consume is mainly the pulp portion, and the flesh of these fruits does not contain bitter amygdalin. Even if you don't pay attention to occasionally eat one or two apple seeds, the digestive juices can't digest these seeds, the bitter amygdalin inside will not be broken down by the digestive juices.

I hope you do not believe these rumors, with the further study of the nature of the bitter amygdalin, found that in addition to the known cough, phlegm, analgesic effect, there are a variety of effects, such as studies have shown that the bitter amygdalin on the cardio-cerebral vascular, digestive and urinary diseases have therapeutic effects, so we do not have because of the rumors of bitter amygdalin heart bias.

This article was scientifically verified by Ruan Guangfeng, director of the business department of the Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center.