Prunus dulcis, known as the almond tree, is a deciduous tree of the Rosaceae family, cultivated mainly for its edible seeds, almonds. It originates from the Middle East and South Asia, while today it is widely grown in many regions of the world, such as the Mediterranean and California. The almond is one of the most nutritious nuts, with a rich content of vitamins, minerals and healthy fats.

Botanical description:
- Family: Rosaceae
- Genus: Prunus
- Species: Prunus dulcis
- Height: The almond tree can reach 4–10 meters in height.
- Leaves: The leaves are long, slender and serrated at the edges.
- Flowers: The almond blossoms are white or pink and appear early in spring before the leaves.
- Fruit: The fruit is ovoid, with a hard shell that contains the seed (the almond), which may be sweet or bitter, depending on the variety.

Chemical composition:
Almonds are highly nutritious, providing a wide range of bioactive components:
- Monounsaturated fatty acids: Most of the fat in almonds is healthy fat, mainly oleic acid, which promotes cardiovascular health.
- Dietary fiber: High fiber content that supports digestive health.
- Proteins: Almonds are rich in plant-based proteins.
- Vitamins: An excellent source of vitamin E, which acts as a powerful antioxidant, protecting cells from oxidation.
- Minerals: High content of magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.
- Antioxidants: Rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Properties:
1. Cardioprotective action: The monounsaturated fats and vitamin E help reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol and increase “good” HDL cholesterol, improving cardiovascular health.
2. Antioxidant action: Vitamin E and flavonoids in almonds protect cells from oxidative stress and free radicals, promoting skin health and the prevention of chronic diseases.
3. Support of the digestive system: Dietary fibre contributes to proper bowel function and regulation of blood sugar levels.
4. Support of bone health: Magnesium and calcium strengthen bone health, while phosphorus contributes to cell growth and regeneration.
5. Blood sugar regulation: The presence of healthy fats and dietary fibre in almonds helps stabilize blood sugar levels, making them suitable for people with diabetes.

Uses:
- Nutrition: Almonds are consumed as a snack, added to desserts, salads and cereals, or used to produce almond oil and almond milk.
- Cosmetics: Almond oil is used in skin and hair care products due to its moisturizing and nourishing properties.
- Medical applications: Almonds help improve digestion, strengthen immunity and prevent chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

Almonds are treated with hot water to soften the seed coat, which is then removed to reveal the white endocarp. Once the almonds are peeled and processed, they can be stored over time.

Almonds are used in many cuisines and are especially prominent in desserts – such as marzipan, almond paste or the widely known in Greece “amygdalota”, with each region having its own version of the almond sweet. Some with icing sugar, others with mastic, and others with chocolate or tahini, with the most famous treat of all being the kourabies (Greek butter cookie).

Prunus dulcis, or almond tree, is a nut with rich nutritional value and multiple benefits for health and well-being, as it contains significant amounts of healthy fats, vitamins and antioxidants.

Almond Oil & Nutrition Facts Table

Almonds have always been a rich source of oil with 50% of the dry mass of the almond consisting of fat.

More specifically, almond oil contains:

• 32% monounsaturated oleic acid (the same as that contained in olive oil, as an omega‑9 fatty acid)

• 13% linoleic acid (polyunsaturated omega-6 essential fatty acid) and

• 10% saturated fatty acid (mainly as palmitic acid).

• 0% of linolenic acid, the polyunsaturated essential omega-3 fatty acid found both in fish and in other natural sources.

• In addition, almond oil is a rich source of vitamin E, providing 261% of the Daily requirement/value per 100 ml.

 When almond oil is analyzed separately and expressed per 100 grams as a reference mass, the oil provides 3,700 kJ (or 884 food Calories kcal) of energy, 8 grams of saturated fat (81% of which is palmitic acid), 70 grams of oleic acid, and 17 grams of linoleic acid (oil table).

Nutritional Table

Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy	3,699 kJ (884 kcal)
Fat	100g
Saturated	8.2 g
Monounsaturated	69.9 g
Polyunsaturated omega-3 omega‑6	17.4g 0 17.4g
Vitamins	Quantity %DV†
Vitamin E	261% 39.2 mg
Vitamin K	7% 7.0 μg
Minerals	Quantity %DV†
Iron	0% 0 mg
Link to USDA Database entry
Units μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams IU = International units

Discover all the forms of almond oil

• Almond oil for cooking (Food Grade) 

• Pharmaceutical Almond Oil for cosmetics (Cosmetics Grade) 

• Bitter Almond Oil (Essential Oil)