Are your almonds really raw?

http://detoxinista.com/2012/08/are-your-almonds-truly-raw/

Imported real raw almonds, ones that can stout, cost around $11.00 a pound at Whole Foods. Their zapped American counterparts cost around $7.00 a pound or less.

-Mark-

Mark, I am not from California. You'll have to fill in the cultural gap here. Why do we want our almonds raw?

Not Mark, but I think I know at least one reason: Raw almonds (and other nuts) contain enzymes that are destroyed by roasting. You get more "bang for your buck" with raw.

Personally I love raw cashews. They are great in smoothies and I put them in raw chocolates that I make.

I've read that truly raw cashews are poisonous, and the "raw" cashews in stores are steamed! I'm not saying I know it's true, but you can read the claim here: http://www.wisegeek.org/are-raw-cash...-poisonous.htm

Abby

Hmmmm, I just heard that the shells of cashews are poisonous. That's why you never see "in the shell" cashews. Whether they are steamed are not, they still lend themselves well to smoothies for a creaminess you can't get from roasted cashews.

As a rule all domestic almonds are pasteurized by "heating them using steam, irradiating them using a controversial ionization process, roasting or blanching them, or treating them with propylene oxide." There are a few exceptions to this rule.

The kicker is that you can do all of the above to almonds and still call them "raw." These are the almonds you can buy in the grocery store. You can find local sources for imported raw, or buy them online. See the links below.

The pasteurized process destroy enzymes in the almond. The pasteurized almond dose not sprout. These almonds are no longer alive. Much of the health benefits of raw almonds are derived from the living enzymes in the nut. Pasteurizing kill the nut.

The Natural Family Today Website goes into more detail about raw versus pasteurized almonds: Pasteurizing Almonds: Good or Bad?

Follow this link for more information on the: Health Benefits of Almonds

-Mark-

P.S.: Nice shot at California. It almost went by without notice.