Almonds - a general description
Almond (Prunus dulcis) shrub stone fruit tree of the genus Plum. The root system is well developed, branched trunk 4-6 m tall, has two types of shoots - elongated and shortened. Lanceolate leaves. The flower is single, white or light pink, many stamens are surrounded by one pistil, a cup is goblet, a corolla is reddish or pink.
The fruit is in the form of a dry velvety-pubescent oval odnostoyanka. Bones, or nuts in the same form, are covered with small dimples or grooves, weighing up to 5 g., The ripening period is June-July. Propagated by seeds or root shoots. Almond is a long-lived tree, lives up to 150 years and all this time, starting from 5 years old, bears fruit. It is also an early spring honey plant.
Almonds - types and places of growth
Almonds native to the Mediterranean and Near East and Central Asia, this heat-loving plant arose even before our era. Now almond trees are also found in China and the USA, in the Crimea, on the Tien Shan, in the countries of the Caucasus. In the warm regions of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, it is planted in vineyards. Almonds prefer gravelly soil and hardens in the mountains high above sea level.
This is a photophilous and thermophilic plant, some of its species begin to bloom in late February. Among the types of almonds, one can note the distribution of the endemic of Georgia - Georgian almonds, Altai - Ledebur almonds, as well as steppe (bobovnik), three-bladed louisania, ordinary and Petunnikov almonds.
Almonds - healing properties
Almond bones have a huge number of properties that can alleviate many diseases. When almonds are consumed, the nervous system calms down, and the quality of sleep and rest improves. Almonds stimulate the growth of children, enrich the brain with phosphorus during hard work, help transfer the effects of nicotine on the body of smokers, and reduce the acidity of gastric juice.
As an adjuvant, it is used in removing sand from the kidneys, in the treatment of peptic ulcer and gastritis, migraine, anemia, insomnia, and seizures. It is also useful in the process of lowering cholesterol in the blood, delays the aging of the body throughout life due to its vitamin E.
Almonds - dosage forms
The most valuable product are almond seeds, which are a real storehouse of magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus. The “bouquet” of nutrients also includes monounsaturated fats, protein and carbohydrates. Some ingredients are also useful in the skin of the bone, so it is recommended to use it with the bone. Almond oil is used in the treatment of bronchial asthma, cough, otitis media, pneumonia. Almond oil is widely used in cosmetics and perfumes, as well as in cooking.
Almonds - recipes
For the treatment and prevention of various diseases and just to strengthen the body as a whole, it is useful to use almond seeds as an independent product or in numerous culinary products.
- A healthy salad with almonds: lettuce, green chives, grated parmesan, olives, seasoned almonds, vegetable oil, almond oil, 2 tablespoons of honey, paprika. Calcify the almonds in the oven, cool and chop, mix with honey and seasonings (cinnamon, pepper, sweet and hot paprika). Heat again in the oven and cool. Mix with the rest of the ingredients, season with butter and garnish with cheese.
- The therapeutic effect of oil: rub stagnant places, this is an indispensable tool in the fight against pressure sores. A few drops of butter on a piece of sugar helps with an acute cough, poor appetite and a strong heartbeat.
- Almond water to relieve pain in the stomach and intestines - pour almond cake with water, let stand and strain.
- Almonds crushed with milk help in the treatment of baldness.
Almonds - contraindications
In addition to individual intolerance, there are several cases where eating almonds is not prohibited, but highly recommended. First of all, these are obese people, since the calorie content of the bones will increase weight and contribute to the further development of the disease.
In addition, it should be used cautiously for people with a low heart muscle contraction rate. Do not eat unripe almonds, as the cyanides contained in it can poison the body. Bitter almonds are also not suitable for food, it is used only for cooking oil.
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