Can You Eat Almond Shells? What Are Their Uses?
Almonds are among everyone’s favorite healthy snacks, but you can use their shells, as well. You can use them in many ways, like eco-safe industrial materials, biofuels, and even landscape and gardening materials. Still, if you’re a regular Jane like me, you would use them a bit differently. When it comes to health, wellness, and food, they have a huge role there, no doubt. Everyone knows that almonds are packed with nutrients and antioxidants, but the chief question is can you eat almond shells, and what are their uses?
Almond shells are edible, but you can’t consume them as a snack, though. They abound in fiber and antioxidants, which makes them an amazing homemade remedy for inflammatory processes. When it comes to beauty, they are almost in every clean cosmetic product, as well as vegan-based food.
The moment you regain consciousness of the products you use for food or care, you’ll appreciate natural ones more and more. Something so banal as almond shells has so many benefits and purposes for your well-being. Here are the most interesting ones!
What to Do With Almond Shells?
Surprisingly or not, almond shells have many uses you probably wouldn’t think of. They’re everywhere: from cosmetics and food to gardening and the wood industry.
Beauty Industry
Going green in cosmetics is more popular every day, and almonds have a leading role there. Almond shells make a superb body exfoliant that leaves your skin silky smooth. They are pretty soft, so they make gentle scrub that nourishes your body. [1]
Crushed almond shells are part of scrubs, shower gels, face and body soaps, face wash gels, and peelings. They can be part of any washout product whatsoever. It has a series of benefits besides gentle exfoliation, like moisturizing, evening skin tone, glowing effect, treating blackheads, and calming inflamed pimples.
Foods
If you frequently buy vegan and gluten-free products, you probably consume powdered almond shells on a daily basis. They are part of baking mixes, candy, cereal, meat products, and vegan meat alternatives. You won’t notice them, but they make a top-tier addition to those products!
Almond shell powder gives the texture, binds other ingredients, and works as a flavor courier. What’s more, the powder is actually loaded with digested fiber, and that means it lowers the final calorie count!
Folk Medicine
Having Mediterranean roots, I grew up drinking so many homemade remedies for almost any disease there is, and still remember drinking almond shell tea to fight the flu. I have no medical articles to support this statement, though, only my memories of summers on the coast.
Warm tea made of almond shells, dried figs, and thyme will help you calm the inflammatory process in the body, while only shell tea is good against sore throat and cough. Drinking about a liter of tea daily will fasten up the recovery of urinary infection, as well. It’s worth trying, isn’t it?
Is It Better to Eat Almonds With Skin or Without?
Almonds are one of the healthiest snacks you can have, with or without skin. Skin alone is packed with antioxidants and fiber and has anti-inflammatory effects. They have an influence on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancer, plus they reduce “bad” cholesterol levels. [2] [3]
But, they can be hard to digest, though, so soaking them in water is also an amazing option! The skin contains two ant-nutrients – tannins and phytic acid – but recent studies showed they have benefits, as well. So, to conclude, consume them in any shape you like – they are super healthy both ways! [4]
