Bitter almonds have been known to cause poisoning. Although they can be processed and made safer for culinary uses, in their raw state, they contain a compound called amygdalin, which can break down into products that include cyanide or hydrocyanic acid, also known as prussic acid. Sweet almonds, which are commonly eaten, do not contain amygdalin.
History
Amygdalin was first isolated in 1830 by French chemists, but the toxicity of bitter almonds has been known from ancient times, when they were used to treat ailments such as fevers and worms. The extraction of bitter almond oil can remove the prussic acid, making it safer for culinary uses, such as flavoring liqueur. The processed nuts can also be eaten sparingly. Bitter almonds are cultivated in southern Europe.
Function
Your body can handle exposure to small amounts of cyanide, which it normally either eliminates or uses to synthesize vitamin B-12. However, larger amounts of cyanide can overwhelm your ability to detoxify it. If this happens, your cells become unable to use oxygen, and death results from oxygen deprivation. Other than bitter almonds, commonly eaten foods such as lima beans, spinach, tapioca, bamboo shoots and the pits of apricots, peaches, cherries and plums also contain cyanide, as do car exhaust and cigarette smoke.
Symptoms
The symptoms of cyanide poisoning include weakness, confusion, nausea, headache, difficulty breathing, convulsions, unconsciousness, cardiac arrest, according to the New York State Department of Health. The severity of cyanide poisoning depends on the type or route of exposure and the dose to which you are exposed. While some forms of cyanide compounds have a detectable odor characteristic of bitter almonds, not all people might be able to smell it.
Additional Information
You are routinely exposed to small amounts of cyanide through foods and air pollution, but cyanide in various forms is also used commercially in the manufacture of pesticides and plastics, as well as in industrial processes such as electroplating, photo developing and gold mining. Hydrogen cyanide gas, considered the most harmful form of cyanide, also has been used as a chemical weapon.
