I’m a fan of almonds.
Raw, roasted, slivered. Drenched in chocolate. Chopped up and served atop a bowl of plain wholemilk yogurt with a drizzle of honey. Whizzed up into homemade almond milk. Or maybe ground up, mixed with butter, and used as a pastry crust. Oooh, and I almost forgot to mention almond butter.
Almonds and I? We go way back.
So what made me decide ‘I’m not eating almonds anymore’?
Good question.
It’s not because I’ve uncovered some secret evil thing about almonds. And it’s not to say you should stop eating them.
It’s because as much as my taste buds like them, my body doesn’t.
See almonds are among a number of foods that I tested reactive to when I got screened for food sensitivities recently. I also tested reactive to salicylic acid, a compound naturally found in almonds and many other foods (and the active ingredient in aspirin, which ironically is an anti-inflammatory for most people).
So although they are the go-to healthy nut praised for their calcium, vitamin E, fiber, protein, and monounsaturated fats, they are unfortunately a source of inflammation to my body.
I had actually guessed they might be a problem food ‘cause when I’d eat too many, I would get a canker sore or two in my mouth. But then again, I also suspected chocolate, which thankfully is not a culprit. And peanuts. And corn. And lemon. And eggs. All of which are in fact NOT reactive for me. Praise the food gods!
You see, it’s really hard to figure out what foods your body reacts to because the side effects of food sensitivities can be delayed up to 4 days after eating them (and actually, some food sensitivity researchers say it can be as much as 2 weeks!). So that handful of almonds I had on Monday could be the source of the canker sore that popped up on Thursday.
It feels really comforting to have answers, and I’m not gonna lie, a little disappointing to have to cut out certain foods. But having worked with dozens of clients with symptoms that are far more severe than mine and seeing them overcome seemingly insurmountable health problems (we’re talking avoiding GI surgery, getting off migraine meds completely, having 20+ years of joint pain disappear in 6 days), I know this works and I’m willing to make the small sacrifice of changing what I eat.
In the next few weeks, I’ll be taking the plunge, practicing what I preach, and making sweeping dietary changes to quell inflammation in my body. I guess you can say I’ve been talked into it by my clients’ own success stories and compelled to do this out of utter curiosity.
Nothing is more powerful than helping people heal through food alone and I’m excited to start my own journey!
I’ll be keeping you posted on my progress via email (be sure you’re on my email list by signing up below!), sharing what I eat and how I prepare it. Just like I have clients check in with me regularly, I’ll be checking in with you. Knowing that I have to be accountable to all of you will keep me motivated.
I also plan to post pictures of my culinary creations (or shall I say experiments) on my facebook page. If you’re not already a fan on facebook, you’ll want to “like” my page now.
If you’d like to cheer me on, tell me in the comments section below.
Until next week,
Lily
I rely on almonds so much as a food staple that if I had to stop eating them I would need some uplifting encouragement too. YOU can DO IT Lily!!
Thanks for the virtual pat on the back, Dana!
Hi and thank you for sharing your experience. About a week ago, I substituted almond milk into my diet as an alternate source of calcium. Today I developed mouth canker sores on top of a facial rash which presented last night. I’ve not included nut products as part of daily nutrition before trying the almond milk. The almond milk is the only change in my health conscience lifestyle. I stopped the almond milk. There are other sources of calcium, although not as tasty:-)
I did the same thing and started getting a rash on my neck then on my face the only thing I came up with was I was having almond milk twice a day for 5 days only realized this today so now off almond milk.
Oh Im so relieved to see this. Ive started drinking almond milk and I’ve been having too much of it I know, because the chai with almond milk is so so good. BUT I now have ulcers on my lips and in around my teeth. I thought that could be the only reason. Guess I’m off it now too.
Hi Lily
Thank you so much for sharing your experience concerning almonds. I do have a slight trace of rheumatoid arthritis which I treat naturally so a gluten free diet works for me. However several months ago I decided to buy various cereals which was nut based. I then developed the most awful body pains caused by inflammation. I put this down to the condition and bought lots of supplements to try to reduce the inflammation but to no avail.
To cut a long story short a friend suggested a food intolerance blood test which I did privately. Almonds, were one of the main culprits. Since eliminating this together with other foods from my diet the inflammation that I was experiencing has now gone.
So thank you again for sharing your experience.
Jules
Wonderful news about your inflammation dissipating, Jules. I’m glad you were able to get tested and figure out that almonds were one of your food triggers. Sad to give ’em up, but when you feel good, the trade off is well worth it!
What tests are you both doing for intolerances. I need to get this done asap!! Thanks! I have cut out so many many things but I still feel so puffy a lot of the time!
I use the mediator release test to determine food sensitivities and to guide a customized elimination diet and reintroduction diet, as described here.
Keep in mind “food intolerances” are different from food sensitivities (i.e. you can have lactose intolerance (a localized digestive reaction), but not a food sensitivity to dairy (meaning not a systemic immune response)).
It’s more than likely the ascorbic acid or some other ingredient in the almond milk that is causing the cancer soars not the almonds There is very little almonds in a glass of almond milk like literally only 4.5 almonds. An entire container of almond milk contains less than 2% of almonds.
It’s more than likely the ascorbic acid or some other ingredient in the almond milk that is causing the cancer sores not the almonds There is very little almonds in a glass of almond milk like literally only 4.5 almonds. An entire container of almond milk contains less than 2% of almonds.
Nuts do contain l arginine that in larger consumption can cause cancer sores.
Lil–love your blog! Wish I could take your class. If you do come up with a long-distance workshop or webinar or something, I’d be interested. So sorry about the almonds! Mare
Muchas gracias, Mare! Hosting webinars is on my agenda for 2014 and I’ll announce it to my email subscribers when the time comes. 🙂 I shed a small tear for almonds this morning, but luckily I have a whole bunch of other delicious foods to eat instead.
Fascinating about the almond sensitivity. Thanks for all the informative posts. Pilates Nutritionist is my go-to for nutrition and food based questions!
Appreciate your loyalty, Nancy! And I’m so glad my posts have been helpful to you.
Yes, I did note cancker sores after eating almonds. So, these are eliminated.
Thanks for the onfo’.
Looking forward to hearing how you do! Now I am curious about testing for food allergies myself!
Yes Jenni, and the tests for food allergies are different than food sensitivities. I’ll go into that further in future posts.
Lily, I love almonds! So I can only imagine how sad it is to give them up. However, I am sure you will feel so much better once you body adjusts to not having those pesky nuts irritating it. There are a lot of other yummy nuts too! I particularly love pecans. 🙂 So hopefully you can still get your nut fix from time to time.
Jessica, there’s still a half-full container of almond milk in my fridge, so I’ll need to pawn it off on friends. 🙂 And just to give you a quick update, it’s only day 2, but I practically leaped out of bed this morning. There are a few nuts I can choose from, so it’s definitely doable.
Ah the poor Almonds! Very curious to how I would fair with a test. Through an elimination diet I’ve figured I’m sensitive to wheat protein, mushrooms and milk in large quantities but not cheese or yogurt. I know it may not be so accurate.
Hi Sarah! Elimination diets are standard practice and accurate if done carefully. It’s all about paying attention to what you eat, listening to your body, and tracking symptoms. For me, getting tested has provided a GPS to guide my elimination diet, so I can heal faster and spend less time guessing (or waste time on an elimination diet that contains foods I react to!). I suspected some foods, but I never would have suspected salicylic acid, so this has already been a game changer.
And major props to you for figuring out some of your food sensitivities!
Does this apply to almond milk too?
Teniel, yes. If you have a food sensitivity to almonds, you’d need to avoid all products made with almonds.
Oh my goodness … I love almonds and also suffer badly with stomach cramps after eating them. I also have rheumatoid arthritis and had a bad allergic reaction to Salfazaladine (spelt wrongly) now I’m wondering if I am in fact allergic to almonds as you mentioned they contain salycilic acid?!
Luckily sulfer/sulfa drugs and salicylic acid are entirely different. But if you suffer from eating almonds specifically, you could have a sensitivity.
Have you found you are sensitive to any other nuts, or simply almonds?
Luckily just almonds. But nuts can be hard for me to digest if they’re not prepared properly, however I seem to do fine with any nuts (other than almonds) when I prepare them like this. This trick works for a lot of my clients as well.
Me too… I realized after making paleo friendly chocolate chip cookies with almond flour this weekend that I must have a sensitivity. My joints are worse than they have been in awhile…
Bummer, Lexi! Perhaps it’s the almonds or maybe something else in the cookies.
If it is almonds, there are many Paleo-friendly replacements, such as cashew flour/meal or coconut flour. Cashew flour makes a delicious tart crust as well!
I, too, love almonds, but they just don’t love me back! It’s nice to find someone else experiencing the same thing. Are you avoiding other related foods?
Hi Katie,
I don’t have a sensitivity to other nuts, but I am reactive to salicylic acid (which is found in almonds), so I have to be careful I don’t over-consume other foods that contain it, such as mint.
If you have issues with almonds and other nuts, I suggest trying this preparation method before giving up on them entirely.
Hi Lily,
Came across your site after bad stomach pain from eating nuts! Started a 2 week detox and incorporated nuts as a snack… couldn’t believe how bloated I was on day 2! Your other post about digesting nuts became very clear so thank you for that helpful info 🙂
I took an allergy test before as my stomach is fairly sensitive but not sure how accurate it was, I feel I may be sensitive to wheat but it didn’t show anything – may I ask which one you have used or would recommend?
Thanks so much, sorry about the almonds 🙁
Glad you found it useful, Chloe!
Yeah, allergy tests are notoriously inaccurate. I prefer food sensitivity testing, since food sensitivities are more often linked to digestive issues than allergies. Here’s the one I suggest.
For more on gluten/wheat issues, check out this post. Many people have subclinical reactions to gluten, so if you feel better without it, there’s really nothing nutritionally available in wheat that you can’t get in other foods (and often with fewer side effects).
Not sure how old this post is – curious if cutting almonds improved your symptoms? I have been having digestive issues for about a year and just got testing back saying I am intolerant to almond. Hoping so much that cutting them will do the trick!
Hi Kathy,
Yes removing almonds and a variety of other foods + food chemicals that I am sensitive to made a world of difference. You can read about it here.
Thanks for sharing,, i like almonds but by body doesn’t either :|.. some with most nuts really. Inflamation and kidney pain are my symptoms
What tests can be done for food sensitivities and by who?
I’m really trying to figure out what foods bother me. Some are tricky.
Example…I know peanuts bother me.
I can eat almonds and even a protein bar with almond butter and almonds in it. If I eat almond butter alone I get phelmy throat and sinus symptoms. Weird
I have noticed over the years that when I eat almonds (which I love) I seem to have joint pain, gout, etc. It wasn’t until eating almost a cup of almonds last night and waking up not being able to walk this am, AND finding your blog, that I realized that almonds may indeed be the issue. Dang it! Going to miss them but not the pain.
I have joint pain in my feet and lower legs, I am suspecting almonds. Thank you for the info.
You mentioned getting screened for food sensitivities. I was wondering what test you did? Do they draw blood for it? I want to get one done and was wondering which one you’d recommend. Thank you!
Hi Stacey, Details about the test I use (and why) are found here: http://pilatesnutritionist.com/food-sensitivities/
Hi Lily,
So I just came across your website because I was googling “almond intolerance”. Thank goodness for SEO! I got my Cyrex lab results back today and found out I was off the charts intolerant to almonds, that sweet little innocent nut that I drink and eat almost every day. Anything over 2.5 was considered out of range and my score for almonds was 4.18. It was 3.30 for roasted almonds. The weird thing is, I don’t seem to have too many symptoms other than joint aches, which is something I thought was cause because I’m a “senior” ballet dancer and teacher. lol I was diagnosed years ago with Crohn’s and have had very few problems because I stay away from most dairy and gluten. I decided to go ahead and get this testing done because I was afraid that I might still be eating foods I shouldn’t and voila, it’s almonds! I am very intolerant to Brazil nuts too and mildly intolerant to pecans and sesame seeds. It’s been two years since you wrote this post. How are you feeling? I am still in mourning about my beloved almonds but thank you so much for sharing this information. I adhere to a Paleo diet and almonds are in so many of the recipes. Time to restructure my eating plan! Thanks again for sharing!
Karin 😎
Hi Lily!
I’ve suffered with many of the same symptoms you mentioned above and have had little success with GI docs but have had some limited success with eliminating certain foods- what is this food sensitivity screening you mentioned? That sounds really cool!
Hi Ellie, You can learn more about testing for food sensitivities with MRT here: http://pilatesnutritionist.com/food-sensitivities/here.
Hi,
I’d love to know more about the test you had as I am also finding it very hard to distinguish which food causes me bloating!
Thanks
You can learn all about it here. 🙂
it’s very interesting – i made the connection of almonds to recent wrist pains (and feet swelling, maybe?) last night and this morning got online to see what google says. for every article about possible almond joint pain/other side-effects there are scads of joint and inflammation pro-almond websites!
yours is the only commentary that specifically explains that almonds can indeed cause these issues and why it might happen.
I’m fairly convinced it’s these smoked almonds i’ve gorged on that caused these wrist pains, and maybe my foot swelling i encountered last night. it’s clear that people’s unique chemistry provide unique reactions to certain foods.
i’m also wondering if there’s a gluten issue with almonds – haven’t read a thing on gluten before reading through some of these articles…
thanks for your studies!
You may want to rule out the possibility that flavoring ingredients or other additives in the “smoked” almonds aren’t the culprit before ditching almonds. 😉
Hi There –
Would you happen to know what these foods have in common: avocado, eggs, and almonds? I used to be able to eat these without any problems, but now I am intolerant! I get severe stomach pain, and I’m down for the count for about 5 hours after I eat them. I don’t have any issues with other fruits, veggies, or nuts. I don’t eat meat, but I do sometimes eat fish and don’t have issues. I’m just baffled. I had my gallbladder out about 12 years ago, and this pain that I get reminds me of that, before I had it removed. While I can be exposed in super small amounts (like some egg in a potato salad), I cannot eat them plain (like a handful of almonds would kill me), and no more scrambled eggs or omelets. What has happened to my body? Someone suggested I was allergic to ovals (LOL) but I don’t think that’s it.
If you have any advice or can point me in the right directions, I would be grateful.
Thanks!
E
I have the same issue but add bananas to that list. My almond reaction was just recent and so severe I had to go to the ER.
I have problems with all of these too, plus onions. I have the same exact thing and I’m starting to wonder if these are really just allergies or effects from another underlying problem…and its weirder now that I’ve found 2 other people with an exact sensitivity list…
Without thinking as I was working on a document through the day, I realized I had munched through 50 almonds.. I was in joint pain hell the next morning.. I was feeling fine the last few days, no flu, no other problems.. just almonds.. Perhaps if I had eaten just a handful I might not have noted the toxicity I had to almonds.. No more almonds for me.. bummer.
I have for most of my life suffered from kanker sores. It took me 55 years to figure out that nuts, especially almonds , was the cause. My mother used to roast almonds for all holidays! I had kanker sores all the time. Love them but do not eat them anymore.
Interesting, John. I, too, get canker sores from almonds. So annoying!
How long, after you eliminate almonds from your diet does it take in time?
I have frozen shoulder and when i eat something wrong, it acts up immediately. last night i couldnt sleep…. I was rolling my arm in pain throughout the night. I had no idea what it was. And then i remembered I had a glass of almond milk. Something I’ve not done before. This was my first time drinking almond milk. I think it could be that…. Went online to search and found your blog. Will continue reading. I think you hv a lot of useful information in here. Thank you so much.
Keep in mind if it was commercial almond milk, there’s more than just almonds in there. Sometimes the additives can be to blame. This post goes into 5 especially harmful food additives. Good luck on your quest!
Thank you for all of the helpful information! I’ve been reading through your food sensitivity posts today.
After 3 years of eating almonds, almond milk and raw almond butter daily, I developed daily headaches, lethargy, and severe breast and lymph node pain. Appears too much Vitamin E and raw almonds are pretty bad for you. Who knew?
I don’t know how old this blog is but I just wanted to put my 2 cents in. I eat whole raw almonds everyday 6 after every meal and just randomly throughout the day.. what I’ve perceived from eating them is that you have to drink a LOT OF WATER in order for them to move through your system properly or you will suffer from bloating and internal problems including canker sores from dry mouth.. almonds are high in fiber so it’s almost like your taking fiber powder without adding water.. if you don’t drink (flush) the almonds through your system your gut will suffer.
What tests did you get done to discover your food sensitivity?
Mediator Release Test. I describe my experience here: http://pilatesnutritionist.com/how-healing-from-food-sensitivities-changed-my-life/
How to get relief from inflammation pain after had almonds
would like to hear more, thanks
My canker sores are caused by eating most nuts and seeds, but oddly, not cashews.
My migraines are caused by eating raw onions and garlic, especially red onions
It took me years to figure this out, but even with this knowledge I still end up eating these things when I’m at restaurants and I forget to mention it or eating at other people’s houses.
Does anyone else have these sensitivities?
Wow! I have a headache today when I woke up. I rarely get them since I gave up nutrasweet. but I had less than 10 almonds late last night! I feel they’ve bothered me before, but it doesn’t make sense, I eat nuts every day. Could find nothing online, in fact, they are supposed to be good for headaches-ha. At least I can still eat a couple in the day. Glad to see I’m not alone!
I did the same thing and started getting a rash on my neck then on my face the only thing I came up with was I was having almond milk twice a day for 5 days only realized this today so now off almond milk.
My blood pressure goes through the roof when I ate almonds or took aspirin. Today, ate grapes and same thing happened. Good to have a link between them.
Hi there! Great article! I found it when I was looking up possible causes of canker sores. I have a small one right now, and I had one few months ago too. It’s worrisome. I wanted to ask you how you go about getting a food allergy test? Should I go through my general practitioner or who provides these?
I’m happy I came across your page, I have stopped drinking almond milk after having one canker sore after another for a year and now I’m going on 3 weeks of NO cankers! Thank You!
I am so glad to find your post. I ate almonds this morning and my knees felt uncomfortable through my whole workout. I’ve had the experience before but kept ignoring it. I will not any longer.
I’ve eaten almonds twice in the last couple months, first time I wasn’t sure they were the problem. Second time extreme bloating occurred within the hour, to the point I thought about going to Urgent Care. Extreme pain dissipated about an hour and a half after eating. Also happens with broccoli.
I am finding after years of smoothies that almonds tear up my throat ! I am stunned about such a healthy food.
Hi!
I have been having stomach issues for over a year ( on and off nausea , stomach pains, over salivation…) and some break outs on my forehead… My gastroenterologist thinks I have food sensitivities…(other doctors simply want me to bury myself in acid suppression meds.. arghh) Reading your website, i am realizing he may be right. How did you get tested for exactly what you are sensitive too? I need answers and am running out of patience!! thanks so much for your help! I am definitely getting your book!
Great site: Great Gal
Did you eliminate everything with food and start at beginning ?
interesting, about 3 months ago I noticed sores in my mouth and stomach issues. finally narrowed it down to Almonds that I was eating. Backed off and sores went away…. today tried again (i’m hard headed) and definitely Almonds are causing the issues. I searched online and found your article, just to verify I wasn’t the only person with this. Thanks for the information
I recently received results from a food sensitivity test that said I almonds are a highly reactive food for me, too. I have struggled with adult acne for years now, and I’m wondering if eliminating almonds will have any impact on that. Does anyone else have experience with this?
I have recently finished Whole 30 and while doing it I had substituted Almond milk creamer for my coffee as well as cashew dairy free yogurt. I am now about 4 months into eating cleaner and still using these nut based products, but have started to experience very uncomfortable breast pain. Burning, fullness and a general ache that gets worse by the end of the day. I have also taken up having a latte or two in the day. I am trying to figure out if one of these two things could be the culprit of my discomfort?
Wow this is so amazing! So as of November I was diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome with no apparent reason. It was severely messing with me so much so that I was constantly worried of something sinister happening and was referred to specialists. at Easter my mouth broke out mega time in canker sores swollen red tounge and I couldn’t even drink anything for four days. I was eventually referred to a&e where I was given things to treat the canker sores but that was it. Since I have broken multiple times and pretty much cut to a diet of only out of the ground. So upon reading this I realise I started almond milk as my only milk intake as of November. So I can’t wait to cut this out of my diet and see if I’m better !! Thanks lily and all the best for your journey ❤️
I had a reaction on my face using a face soap/mask that contained almonds years ago, but I could eat them and even use another type of soap that contained almonds. Years after I started living alone and had to many almonds (like almost everyday and lipbalm) for 5 months till I started to get a bad reaction… My lips got so red, swollen, and the skin of my lips started coming off, this reaction starts almost immediately and last a week, it it’s really uncomfortable.
Thanks for sharing. I am 57 and compete in natural bodybuilding. I have been eating nuts mainly almonds and definitely notice inflammation in my joints. Thought it was just me.
Michael
My husband has been having various symptoms for months. Among them is bad circulation in his legs/feet. A sore on his leg that won’t heal and painful calluses on his feet. His blood count shows low red blood count, high prostate count and now high potassium. (After discussions with a health food store owner, who had a customer with many symptoms that turned out to be from eating at least a cup of raw almonds/day) We decided it was too many raw almonds. He was munching on raw almonds throughout the day and eating a bowl of applesauce with a hefty amount of almond butter, fresh ground, every evening. We were using almond milk as a dairy substitute, but did not consume it every day.. Now we are wondering how many of his symptoms are from eating too many raw almonds.
Thank you for this article-
I had a baby six weeks ago and have been eating a lot of nuts- specifically almonds- we’re talking like 2.5 lbs a week – snacking on them all day.. already being gluten free and having to avoid dairy for the baby has left me relying on nuts….. BUT…. I’ve been feeling like my skin is on fire….
Full body itching that’s making it hard to sleep…
And I think the next step is cutting out those wonderful almonds I’ve been eating non stop.
Also- i loved your books about food for pregnancy! I have been an avid nourishing traditions fan for years and have eaten an unprocessed Whole Foods diet with all three pregnancies to much success- I have recommended your books to many women and my midwife loves them as well.
You might consider some nutrient-dense postpartum recovery meals to replace the nuts. Check this article for 50+ recipes: https://lilynicholsrdn.com/real-food-postpartum-recovery-meals/
Hi
Ive always suspected almonds hurt my gut how do I get tested?
Many thanks
Hi, just wondering what test you took in order to figure this out? Please let me know!
Thanks for sharing. Wondering which test you used to discover your sensitivities? I have a bunch of random symptoms and have been suspecting almonds but would love to get tested. Good luck with your dietary changes!
Thank your for sharing. About 12 months ago I changed to Almond milk as I was getting stomach cramping from cows milk. So a friend of mine persuaded that I start drinking almond milk. I was on it for about 4 months and by the 4th month I had a blood test as I thought I had arthritis. It started in my toe and made its way to all of my joins in my body including my backbone. My inflammation was through the roof and then my doctor asked me what I had changed in my diet, as that would be the starting point to working this out. Almond milk!! So I dropped it. Within a week, I was back to normal! I actually started to think it was due to an additive in the milk, however, turns out that my body doesn’t like Almonds. I started eating almonds and realised they were the actual culprits, when the symptoms came back! So wanted to share my experience and no more Almonds for me!
It might have been my freshly toasted almond addiction that caused my back to have a muscle spasm that had me stuck using a walker for a week! My coworker had a similar thing happen to him. I think i wont cut out almonds completely but i won’t be eating a bowl full at a time haha. The pain i had disabled me. I cant let that happen again.
Hello,
What kind of allergy testing did you get and how would you advise a client to identify food triggers that result in perioral dermatitis?
I’ve seen an allergist and I’m allergic to latex (along with all the foods that cross react with it), I also have severe pollen allergies from most weeds and trees and grasses and this may have cross reactivity to certain foods for that too but I don’t know which ones.
I’ve seen a naturopathic doctor who tested me for IgG and IgA reactions and threw out the term leaky gut but I’m skeptical.
Gluten seems to bother me but I don’t have celiac’s.
I’ve been trying an elimination diet but as you said in your article it’s very difficult to figure out what is the cause of my rash’s flares and my allergist has not been willing to test for more food allergies.
Any advice?
How does one find out what foods they’re reactive to?
Oh. My. God. I am currently lying in my bed writhing with anal discomfort from incessant diarrhea. All morning, as i sit on the porcelain throne, I have been trying to determine the culprit… now I know. Who could have anticipated the bag of almonds would set my rectum ablaze. I am in the worst pain i have felt in months. Curse you, almoooooonds, curse you!
I am suspecting I have an issue with almonds. I do think they are inflammatory for me. I was searching for info on this & it’s really hard to find any, but I am thankful to have found this.
I have consumed almond butter for years. We used it on apples, and now we make cookies with sweet potatoes, bananas, almond butter, eggs, and vanilla. Since we were using more I broke out in a rash all over my legs. Also my neck hurt like I had swollen glands. One day I stopped the almonds all together. By the next evening my rash of a couple weeks was almost gone. I couldn’t even feel much of anything in my neck glands the next day. I also have a stiff neck for about two months now, though it feels some better I still feel my neck discomfort some, but this is only about the fourth day since stopping the almonds. I would like to do a sensitivity test as I have been using Biofreeze on my knees for a couple years. I was so glad to come across this site!
I just started eating Almond milk yogurt everyday. My pain level in my joints is awful. I never connect it to almonds. But was doing a search on all things I’m eating and taking. Your article threw up a red flag for almonds since they were newly added about 2 weeks ago…give or take a few days. If they are the culprit how long before I start to feel better after I stopped eating them.
Alright but what about the clam sauce? Lily, are you sure? Like, it’s in the book isn’t it? Maybe I’m wrong.
What kind of test panel did you get that it included salicylic acid? I got a food blood test and it didn’t have that. I’m looking to take one again in a couple months.
Question… I’ve been eating almost almost every day blended up in my fruit smoothie in the morning. When I stop eating them, I feel less bloated in my legs and stomach, but they help me feel more satiated at the same time. I tried soaking them over night with a little apple cider vinegar and rinsing them, and I get the same effect. Also when I stop eating them and after I finish a workout, I start developing this weird cramp in my upper right back. It’s the weirdest thing. As soon as I get back on almonds, it goes away. They seem to be good and bad for me at the same time. Maybe I’m lacking calcium or magnesium or something? I tried having some A2 milk or unsweetened coconut milk, and almonds are still the only thing that makes it go away. I’m just wondering if there is a scientific or biological explanation for that.
Almonds are NOT fit for human consumption. The Omega 6:3 ratio is 1600+/1… that’s not a good meant for people. And you folks eating almond mills and flowers,
Why? Peanuts are even worse.
Being a healthy and energetic 72 year old I always prided myself with the ability to eat most any food put in front of me. Not so much when it comes with almonds. Even though I love the taste and crunchiness of almonds I noticed for years that I would occasionally experience slight stomach cramps if eating them on a regular basis. The night before last I overindulged and ate two handfuls at a dinner setting. Approximately 6 hours later my stomach felt bloated and cramping began. Severe cramping and vomiting resulted during the night and I was considering going to the emergency room at our local hospital. With the arrival of late morning the cramping subsided but but my stomach was in sever turmoil so I spent most of the day in bed unable to eat or do my basic daily chores. After bouts of vomiting during the night I awoke this morning feeling much relieved and though slightly weak I am well on the way to recovery. In summary, I think almonds are not for me even though others eat them with no ill effects.
I think Almond milk and creamer was causing me sever pain in my feet. I started mixing it 60% flax milk 40%
Almond milk and it helped stop the pain.
My husband wasnt mixing it with Flax and had many of the symptoms.listed on here rash on legs, neck pain, sever stomach pain and high blood pressure.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We will be eliminating it from our diet.
Since testing positive for H Pylori and two other intestinal parasites. And recovering from covid. My histamine response to past loved foods has dramatically changed. No peanuts. No almonds. Almond milk is ok. Odd… it’s crazy how much the human body can change.
I ate almond meal. Stomach pain was intense, I had to shower and it made my poo float. Im also intolerant to grains. Crossing almonds off my list. LOL.
WoW! I could have written this!
I am not allergic to nuts but when I eat them, I break out. Also, I wonder why I break out with my skincare and noticed that Salicylic made me itchy! I also get canker sores!! Now I know the culprit! Thank you very much!
I am very interested to know how to get a test for whether your body has an inflammatory response to a food or not. Is the testing expensive? I think it would help me decide how to change up my diet to improve my health. I am so sick of overthinking everything I eat and reading conflicting information online about what’s good and not. How can I know what’s best for my body?
I’m blown away after reading through many of the comments on this thread. It seems very few people aren’t aware of the very high levels of oxalates in almonds. I urge you to look into it. Just put almonds and oxalates in a search engine and heaps of info will come up.
So grateful for this info. I used to eat almonds daily and drink almond milk and use almond butter. I did this for years. One morning I woke up with extreme stiffness in my hands and fingers and knees to the point where I had to physically bend my fingers down with the heel of the opposite hand, and also do knee flexes so I could walk down the stairs, I was 75 years old. This went on for a few months until I accidentally came across somebody else who had the same symptoms.
I went off almonds and two weeks later I was totally fine. That is almost a year ago and the stiffness has not recurred. Just to test the theory I ate a about 20 almonds around Christmas and got the same nasty reaction .
Thank you so much for validating my decision to go off all almonds and products. Be well!
I too loved eating almonds as a snack. I started eating them when I was on a keto diet about 5 years ago and I continued eating them after I stopped keto. I usually snacked on them about 5 days a week and I probably ate more than a serving. After a year I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism & 2 years after that I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Both are triggered or aggravated by inflammation in the body. I required 500 mg of naproxen twice a day to control the arthritis symptoms. If I missed a dose, I had breakthrough symptoms. Recently I went on vacation and I did not bring any almonds. Near the end of my vacation I needed to take an antibiotic for an infection. The antibiotic could not be taken with my arthritis medication, Naproxen. So I stopped the Naproxen for 7 days. I fully expected to be swollen, stiff, an sore like I would be when I had missed a dose in the past. But it did not happen. The only thing that had changed in my diet was that I had not had almonds for over a week. I still have not eaten almonds, nor have I taken another dose of the arthritis medicine. While I loved almonds, I love not having to take medication even more. I will be interested to see if I can also reduce my medicine for my hypothyroidism in the future. I did some research to see what could cause the almonds to be so inflammatory for me. I see that they are very high in Omega 6 fatty acids and that Omega 6 can be a precursor for inflammatory compounds in the body. There is scientific research that shows that the overconsumption of Omega 6 in relation to Omega 3 may contribute to inflammation, allergies, asthma, obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. I plan to change my way of eating to reduce Omega 6 and increase Omega 3. I am not claiming to be an expert, but I just want to share my experience with others in case it can help them as well.
I fully understand exactly what you are going through.
Hi Lily I’m Mary and I had been making my own almond milk for some time now and ejoyed drinking it until all the bloating started, and feeling tired for no reason I started having severe inflammation in my joints so much so It was very difficult to workout or to complete simple daily chores I’m glad I am not alone in my decision to completely STOP! drinking almond milk or anything containing almonds!