Review · Annual review of food science and technology · 2022Abstract only

Almond composition, uses and coproduct valorization reviewed

What it found

Almonds contain high levels of vitamin E and have shown benefits for heart and blood vessel health.

They are the least allergenic tree nut and contain only tiny amounts of cyanogenic glycosides.

What they found

Heart and vessel benefits

Almonds have demonstrated benefits for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and improving vascular health.

Vitamin E content

Almonds contain high concentrations of health-promoting compounds such as vitamin E.

Allergy and cyanide compounds

Almonds are the least allergenic tree nut and contain minute quantities of cyanogenic glycosides.

Production increase

Production has increased significantly in the past two decades, with 3.12 billion pounds of kernel meat produced in California alone in 2020.

Coproduct uses

The rise in production has led to a new emphasis on the valorization of coproducts such as hulls, shells, skins, and blanch water.

What the authors conclude

  • They present a review of the chemical composition of almond kernels and the current research exploring the valorization of almond coproducts.

How it was done

Almonds are one of the most consumed tree nuts worldwide, and production has increased significantly in the past two decades, leading to a new emphasis on using the coproducts.

What it can’t tell you

  • We summarised it from the abstract only.
  • This is a review of existing research, so it cannot provide new experimental evidence on health effects.
  • It does not compare almond consumption against other foods or measure long-term outcomes in people.

The paper

Title
The Almond ( Prunus dulcis ): Chemical Properties, Utilization, and Valorization of Coproducts
Type
ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
Summarised from
Abstract only
Cite
Tomishima H, Luo K, Mitchell AE (2022). The Almond ( Prunus dulcis ): Chemical Properties, Utilization, and Valorization of Coproducts. Annual review of food science and technology. doi:10.1146/annurev-food-052720-111942PubMed 34936815DOI

Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error