Almonds, benefits and harms are known not to everyone, is often used in cooking, and this has earned universal love. But with this nut need to be careful to avoid trouble.

Usually referred to as almond nut, although scientific classification it belongs to the genus of plum, and his relatives are not plants that give us walnuts or hazelnuts, and peach, cherry, homemade plum, apricot, and others. It grows on bushes and small (up to six meters tall) trees are native to Asia and North Africa. In late winter or spring it is covered with numerous pale pink flowers in June and July, the fruits ripen around the seeds which produce no juicy sweet flesh and leathery shell that does not eat. But, unlike the peach Peaches: benefits and harms of sun fruits   or plum, almond fruits have very soft bones - that we call them almonds.

There are two types of almonds - sweet and bitter. Sweet almonds are widely used in the cuisine of many Asian countries, and in Europe it has long used for making marzipan. From this it also makes oils and extracts. Almond extract is often used instead of vanilla extract in a variety of recipes for diabetics. Bitter almonds are also used in cooking, but he always runs preprocessing. This is required because it contains a fairly large amount of hydrocyanic acid. The use of only one hollow of bitter almonds, not reprocessed may lead to severe poisoning, and even death. That sweet almond people use in fresh and fried. So there are benefits and harm of nuts almonds, to be aware of.

Harm almonds

Most people use almonds in moderation (experts recommend to eat 15-20 nuts per day) is only in favor. However, the misuse of these nuts can lead to undesirable consequences.

We should not forget that the almonds are very high in calories and contains a large amount of fat, which means it can easily lead to weight gain. If you add to your menu, 90 g of almonds a week without making other changes in your diet, and increasing physical activity, your weight will increase by about 0.5 kg for seven days, and to 2-2.5 kg per month. To avoid this, you must reduce the total caloric content of their diet, and then include a meal plan almonds.

The almonds are quite a few of manganese - about 0.6 mg per 30 g of nuts. For most people this is useful - to the body to function properly, it is necessary to use from 1.8 mg to 2.3 mg of this substance in the day. However, if a person uses a lot of almonds and while his diet is already rich in manganese, an excess of this substance can begin to have an impact on the effectiveness of antacids, laxatives, antipsychotic drugs to lower blood pressure and some types of antibiotics Antibiotics - whether they will help you in the foreseeable future? . Those who do not take such drugs, a slight excess of manganese usually has no adverse consequences.

Excess of vitamin E in the body is too dangerous - it can lead to lethargy, blurred vision, diarrhea and flatulence. As mentioned above, 30 g of almonds contains 7.4 mg of vitamin E - about a third of the RDA. However, a person is considered to be dangerous for a dose of more than 1000 mg of vitamin E per day - obviously, you need to eat a lot of nuts to exceed this dose. However, such a risk, especially if a person eats a lot of other foods rich in vitamin E (eg, eggs, spinach and whole wheat bread), as well as take supplements containing the vitamin.

30 grams of almonds contains 3.5 grams of dietary fiber, and the RDA of fiber is 25 grams to 38 grams - that is how much is necessary to ensure the normal work of intestines and prevent constipation and diarrhea. However, excess fat can lead to bloating, abdominal pain and constipation - the body can not quickly enough to process very large amounts of fiber. If you eat a lot of almonds, be sure to drink at least 1.5 liters of water a day to facilitate the digestion of fat.

Roasted almonds

Benefits and harms of roasted almonds mostly the same as that of the raw almonds. However, there is an important "but": As a result of roasting almonds Use almond: Fertility symbol of peace   significantly reduced the concentration of B vitamins B vitamins: the body useful helpers . Besides, roasted almond contains vitamin E slightly smaller than the raw almonds, but for most people, this difference is insignificant.

On the other hand, the advantage of roasted almonds is that they are easier to digest, which means that they are particularly useful for those who have problems with digestion.

In 30 g of roasted almond contains approximately 169 calories, 6 g protein, 14.76 g of fat and 6g of carbohydrate. We must bear in mind that this information relates to almonds, fried without oil. Sautéed walnuts and roasted almonds with honey and sugar, a lot more calories.

For more than 600 years ago naturalists know that ants produce caustic liquid. In 1671, the English naturalist John Ray described this substance. To do this, he gathered a lot of dead ants and prepared their essence. The acid which are found in this essence, later called formic acid (systematic name it - methane acid).

The origins and sources

For the first time I was able to synthesize the formic acid, the French chemist Joseph Gay-Lussac, used as a raw material hydrocyanic acid. In 1855, another French chemist Marcellin Berthelot, developed a synthesis from carbon monoxide (CO), and today for the formic acid is used similar technology.

Formic acid is present in the nettles, and it is responsible for the burning sensation which occurs upon contact with the plant. It is also used as a chemical remedy some insects, such as bees and ants. When the body is reduced ant poison gland, formic acid, which is stored in it, and hits the sting jets thrown out (in some individuals - for a distance of one meter!). Because formic acid pH of 2-3 units attacking insects take flight or die.

Formic acid - is a colorless liquid which slightly steaming air. It is a byproduct of the production of acetic acid, but now it is made in other ways, as the production increases the need for it.

The use of formic acid

Formic acid is used mainly in the manufacture of animal feed in Europe, as well as a preservative and antibacterial agent. For example, it sprayed hay and silage to stop or slow down the decomposition process. Thus, this feed can be used to feed livestock throughout the winter.

In the production of poultry formic acid is used to kill various bacteria, particularly Salmonella Salmonella: unknown facts . It is also used in beekeeping as a fumigant to kill the tick, which is put in the hive. By the way, some birds are placed between their feathers of live ants to get rid of mites that parasitize the skin of birds. It is also used for dyeing textiles and leather for the manufacture of salts of metals such as nickel, cadmium and potassium, in a solvent in the manufacture of toilet water, in the production of lacquers, glass and plasticizers for vinyl resins. Formic acid is used as a preservative in the manufacture of food for humans.

Risk of formic acid depends on its concentration. In high concentrations it is very corrosive, has a strong smell, come from her pair inhale that could be dangerous. After contact with skin it leaves burns and blisters; can seriously damage your eyes, mucous membrane of the mouth, throat and respiratory tract. Ingestion of concentrated formic acid produced in the digestive tract ulcers, pain in the abdomen and nausea Nausea - there may be problems with the nervous system . Leaving the formic acid can cause serious damage to the liver and kidneys.

Scientists believe that the formic acid played an important role in the origin of life on earth. In 1970 it was first detected in interstellar space, it is also found in meteorites that fell to the ground. Formic acid is relatively simple in structure and can participate in the formation of more complex molecules of amino acids and nucleic acids, which are in living organisms. Amino acids are a type of "building blocks" of proteins, nucleic acid molecules - "building blocks" of DNA and RNA.