Almonds are a very popular nut snack that many people consume regularly. In the market, there are many types of almonds, including bitter and sweet almonds. They both have some medicinal value and are beneficial to human health, but excessive consumption can also be harmful to the human body. Bitter almonds are generally more toxic than sweet almonds. So how to distinguish bitter almonds from sweet almonds? Let’s take a look at the following details! First, from the taste. As the name suggests, sweet almonds are sweet, delicate, can be eaten raw, are a popular snack, and can also be added as an ingredient to cakes, cookies, and dishes. Generally speaking, sweet almonds are sold in supermarkets, and some almond tea and almond milk are also made of sweet almonds. Bitter almonds are bitter, pungent and slightly poisonous. Uncooked bitter almonds contain the toxic substance hydrocyanic acid, so the almonds must be boiled to remove the toxicity. Secondly, from the morphological point of view. Bitter almonds are small, flat heart-shaped, yellowish brown to dark brown surface, pointed at one end, bluntly rounded at one end, fat, asymmetric left and right, with most dark brown veins. Sweet almond is large and flat, flattened ovate, apical point, rounded base, symmetrical left and right, yellowish brown, with most dark brown veins, forming a longitudinal concave pattern. Again, from the bitter amygdalin content. Bitter almonds in the bitter amygdalin content of about 2 ~ 4%, including hydrocyanic acid (HCN) content of 0.17%, slightly toxic, raw or improper processing can cause poisoning. The bitter amygdalin in sweet almonds is 0.11%, of which the content of hydrocyanic acid is only 0.0067%, so there is no need to worry about poisoning, but it is not recommended to eat more than one time. In addition, there are some differences between sweet and bitter almonds. In terms of function and treatment, bitter almond has the effect of lowering gas, relieving cough and asthma, laxative and laxative, mainly treating cough and asthma, chest full of phlegm, blood deficiency, constipation, loss of voice, chest paralysis, edema and blood stasis, etc., especially for the treatment of external cough. Sweet almond has the effect of moistening the lung, relieving cough and slippery intestine, etc. It has a certain alleviating effect on dry cough without phlegm and lung deficiency and prolonged cough. Sweet almonds are mostly used as health food, moderate consumption not only can effectively control the level of cholesterol in human body, but also can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and many chronic diseases.