Almonds are California's largest tree nut crop in total dollar value and acreage. They rank as the largest U.S. horticultural export. Approximately 6,000 almond growers produce nearly 100 percent of the commercial domestic supply and more than 80 percent of worldwide production. Nearly 80 countries import California almonds. The United States is by far the largest market for almonds, overseas, Spain is the largest market for almonds. Other major importers include Germany, The Netherlands, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, China and Spain. The Pacific Rim nations are a rapidly growing market for California almonds.
1. Throughout history, almonds have maintained religious, ethnic and social significance. The Bible's book of Numbers tells of Aaron's rod that blossomed and bore almonds, using them as a symbol to represent the divine approval of Aaron by God.
2. Explorers consumed almonds while traveling the "Silk Road" between Asia and the Mediterranean. Before long, almond trees flourished in the Mediterranean region to include such areas as Spain, Italy, Morocco, Greece and Israel.
3. The Romans showered newlyweds with almonds as a fertility charm. There have been documented findings that nutmeats and dried fruits were treated as delicacies of this time, because the cultivation of these foods was not as prevalent as today. Imagine the value of something as small as a nut being a cherished gift for so many centuries!
4. The almond tree was brought to California from Spain in the mid-1700's by the Franciscan Padres. The moist, cool weather of the coastal missions, however, did not provide optimum growing conditions. It wasn't until the following century that trees were successfully planted inland.
5. By the 1870's, research and cross-breeding had developed several of today's prominent almond varieties. By the turn of the 20th century, the almond industry was firmly established in the Sacramento and San Joaquin areas of California's great Central Valley.
6. In the past 20 years, California's almond yield has doubled. More than a half million acres in the lush San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys are under almond cultivation, stretching 400 miles between Bakersfield and Red Bluff, California. The modern industry of today reveals a different look at almonds. Now focused on highly advanced methods of production sorting, hulling and processing, the industry still maintains its down to earth goodness invoked by this simple nut.
Almonds are a source of healthful antioxidants. Research has revealed nine phenolic compounds in almonds of which eight exhibit strong antioxidant activity (Sang et al., 2002). Flavanol glycosides (polyphenol compounds) are phytochemicals thought to have powerful effects on health as antioxidants. A study conducted in Canada found that almond skins contain high levels of four different types of flavanol glycosides (Frison and Sporns, 2002). Although it is clear that almonds contain flavanol glycosides, the next phase of the research was to examine how efficiently they are absorbed and what effect glycosides may have on human physiology. To determine this, researchers at Tufts University examined the effect of almond skins on LDL oxidation. They found that the polyphenolic compounds in almonds are well absorbed into the body and are powerfully active in preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Additionally, they found that the vitamin E in almonds works in synergy with the polyphenols to reduce oxidation (Millbury et al., 2002).
To simplify all this muckemuck… have a hand full of almonds a day and start feeling better. There’s so much proof that almonds are good for our health.
