Bitter almonds are poisonous, but the toxicity is very small, if you eat too much, will be poisoned to death, poisoning manifestations of bitterness in the mouth, salivation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and then a headache, dizziness, palpitations, elevated blood pressure, general weakness. Severe poisoning has a sudden fainting, breathing due to difficulty, pupil dilation, teeth, coma, blood pressure drop, and finally the respiratory center paralysis and death.

The mechanism of bitter almond poisoning is mainly due to the hydrolysis of bitter amygdalin by β-glucosidase in the intestinal flora, producing hydrocyanic acid and being absorbed.