# Nuts. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393 "2004-05-10T02:38:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/1 "2004-05-10T02:38:41Z")
I think I ate too many almonds and now I’m sick. Can almonds cause illness? ---
**Author:** ![Otters\_We\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3da27b/32.png) [@Otters\_We\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otters_We_Love)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/2 "2004-05-10T02:41:32Z")
I don’t think almonds are toxic, maybe you ate too many too quickly? ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/3 "2004-05-10T02:43:17Z")
They’re usually only lethal when ingested in extremely large numbers in a short period of time, and only when no other foodstuffs are eaten in that same time period. …okay, I’m kidding. Your stomach probably isn’t happy because you’ve dumped a fair amount of fairly rich, fatty, salty, hard-to-digest foodstuff into it suddenly, judging from what you’ve said. To my knowledge, no one not actually allergic to almonds has ever died from eating them, though… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/4 "2004-05-10T02:46:18Z")
Well, were they raw almonds? Raw almonds do contain cyanide. Jordan almonds in particular have a high concentration of cyanide. The most common presenting symptom is death. :eek: Others include: \*apprehension \*generalized muscle tremors \*rapid breathing \*increased salivation and tearing of the eyes \*involuntary urination and defecation \*Seizures \*dilated pupils \*mucous membranes bright pink, blood very bright red Rarely is there time to treat before death arrives. If you’re reading this reply, it isn’t cyanide poisoning. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/5 "2004-05-10T02:49:13Z")
The obvious solution: Embrace the porcelain throne and expel the demons that torment you. Then rinse out your mouth, make a nice hot cup of tea (black, no sugar), and sip it slowly. That should help settle your unhappy innards. Hey, it works for me when I’ve overindulged. No, I’m not bulimic. Why do you ask? If you saw my gut and butt, you wouldn’t… ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/6 "2004-05-10T03:03:10Z")
Yeah, they were raw. I forgot to mention that. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/7 "2004-05-10T03:12:35Z")
> [@pizzabrat](#): > > Yeah, they were raw. I forgot to mention that. But you’re still posting, so it’s not cyanide poisoning. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/8 "2004-05-10T03:24:05Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > But you’re still posting, so it’s not cyanide poisoning. Maybe they were time released almonds? ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/9 "2004-05-10T06:30:57Z")
What kind of almond was it, Greg or Duane? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/10 "2004-05-10T06:57:45Z")
Cecil delivers the [Straight Dope on Almond poisoning](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_212.html) > [@](#): > > (1) bitter almonds contain by far the greatest amount of amygdalin, and it takes 50-70 of them to kill an adult, 7-10 to kill a child. (2) Ingestion of about a cupful of any of the above seeds is pushing things a bit. > … > Note to shocked almond freaks: regular old almonds contain far less amygdalin than the bitter variety. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/11 "2004-05-10T12:15:30Z")
Moving this to General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuts/244393/12 "2004-05-11T19:32:18Z")
My brother is “allergic” to almonds. Consuming even a few causes him to experience intestional cramping and painful flatulence.