Almond (bitter) oil is extracted from Prunus amygdalus var. amara, of the Rosaceae family, but is also known as P. dulcis var. amara and Prunus communis .
The Bitter almond tree is native to Western Asia and North Africa and is widely cultivated in Spain, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Separating the kernels from their shells and then crushing them in a press produces a fixed oil.
The main chemical components of bitter almond oil are benzaldehyde and hydrocyanic (prussic acid (
The health benefits of Bitter Almond Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties like vermifuge, febrifuge, bactericidal, germicidal, fungicidal, sedative, anesthetic, aperient, diuretic, anti intoxicating, anti carcinogenic, anti spasmodic, cure for hydrophobia etc.
The fifty percent of the oil obtained from Bitter Almond (scientifically known as Amygdalus Communis var. Amara) contains three basic components, namely, Benzaldehyde, Glycoside Amygdalin and Hydrogen Cyanide (also known as Hydrocyanic Acid or Prussic Acid) while the rest fifty percent contains monounsaturated fatty acids and other components similar to those in Sweet Almonds. It is very difficult to distinguish Bitter Almonds from their sweet counterparts just by appearance, except that the bitter almonds are broader and shorter in shape than the sweet almonds. Bitter almond oil houses some deadly poisons and therefore should be used with utmost care. Most of its medicinal uses are restricted to external applications and internal applications, when needed, are done in very low doses. A little excess amount can be fatal. This oil cannot be called nutritious to health. |
