Nutrition experts recommend taking almond nuts as a food supplement that would ensure a sound heart while almond oil can be used instead of fat to bring down blood cholesterol.
Health benefits of almonds include getting relief from constipation, respiratory disorders, cough, heart disorders, anemia, impotency, and diabetes.
It also helps in hair care, skin care (psoriasis), and dental care. A Hijazi almond tree produces about 200 kg of the fruit. The price in local markets varies from season to season.
The fruit is dried at the end of the season and a carton of the dried nut fetches between SR70 and SR100 during seasons, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.
Since the profit margin is high, many Saudi farmers are interested in almond farming. In the tree-planting week in Baha last year, the Directorate of Agriculture in the province needed more than 3,000 almond seedlings to meet the growing demand from local farmers.
The nut is a rich source of vitamin E, calcium, phosphorous, iron and magnesium. It also contains zinc, selenium, copper and niacin.
