6 ms·

Almonds are really high in oxalates. Hopefully no one involved developed kidney stones...

by themodelplumber 6y ago

hammock 6y ago
In the US, raw almonds are also fumigated with propylene oxide, a probable carcinogen.
- Fnoord 6y ago
  Almond production requires a lot of water [1] which taxes our environment. Especially given the drought and climate change. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond#Sustainability https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond#Sustainability
  - nightski 6y ago
    Last time I looked water use wasnt much more than a tomato when compared on a per calorie basis. I'd love to be shown evidence to the contrary however.
    - apcragg 6y ago
      True, but people aren't exactly consuming tomatoes for their caloric content in a way they would for say, nuts or grains.
    - Fnoord 6y ago
      As already mentioned you don't eat tomato for calories. Main use is flavor (caveat: cheap application of tomato is the "Holländische Wasserbomben" as the Germans call it which is good sale if you sell per weight. Works with ignorant customers who require just "tomatoes"). 3 almonds are equivalent to 1 tomato according to this Mother Jones article (2014) [1]. AFAIK our almonds here in NL are imported, while we are known for our tomato export. [1] https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/wheres-californias-water-going/ https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/wheres-calif...
  - a3n 6y ago
    Even worse because of where they grow almonds, in the California Central Valley. That place isn't as dry as a bone; bones are as dry as it.
  - codemac 6y ago
    Almonds are ~9% or so of our ag water supply, feed for meat and meat products use 50%+ of our ag water supply. Note that agricultural water use is ~40% of water use. Also note that California produces 80% of the world's almonds, but something like 1% of the world's meat. It's not even sensible to discuss almonds in the face of water use for meat production. As long as your calories are filtered through another mammal, it will always be extremely inefficient.
    - mod 6y ago
      Almonds have got to be a tiny percentage of our food supply as compared to meat, though. It would make more sense as a water-to-calorie comparison of almonds vs meat.
      - JoeAltmaier 6y ago
        Yeah 2lbs per person per year in the US.
      - codemac 6y ago
        > It would make more sense as a water-to-calorie comparison of almonds vs meat. Alfalfa uses a metric crapton more water per calorie, and is the main source of feed for many cattle & hogs. I think if you do the water-to-calorie comparison, the numbers will only get much much worse for meat due to the mammal's energy that needs to be fed, but I'm more than happy to be proven wrong.
        mod 6y ago
        Sure, but I've never seen a farmer watering their hayfield, and I live in the country so I would have. I personally don't consider it "water usage" for a plant to soak up rain; it only becomes a problem when we're pulling water out of non-replenishing sources, or those that don't replenish as quickly as we use them up. Aquifers etc. Or diverting entire streams & rivers, things like that. My garden "uses" a lot of water each year, but it's all rainwater. I don't pump any water onto it from anywhere. If it weren't my garden, it would be some native plants in their stead. Edit: Also, I got curious and googled this topic, came up with this: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=17721 https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1772...
  - Rzor 6y ago
    Interestingly and a bit off-topic, Michael Burry (of The Big Short movie/Scion Capital fame) had a few plays on almond farms regarding water scarcity. It seems that he left his positions a few years ago, but the whole California water wars thing is quite unsettling.
  - samatman 6y ago
    Israeli almond production requires 1/20th the water used in California. Their big secret? A pipe inserted to 3 feet of depth, next to each tree, and watering into the pipe instead of spraying it on the ground. Almond production does not require a lot of water. California almond growers use a lot of water because they're allowed to get away with it.
    - csdreamer7 6y ago
      More info on senior and junior water rights in California. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/board_info/faqs.html https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/board_info/faqs.h... Do you have any sources on that specific 1/20th water usage claim?
- intro-b 6y ago
  I was surprised to hear this, but found some additional sources: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/05/19/407760579/what-does-raw-mean-when-it-comes-to-almonds-you-might-be-surprised https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/05/19/407760579/wh... https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Propylene_oxide#section=Top https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Propylene_oxide#se... The amount of propylene oxide remaining on the almond after pasteurization and whether or not it would have substantial effects on humans after consumption doesn't seem clear, but I didn't know that before. Apparently organic or specialty almonds be pasteurized with steam and other non-chemical techniques.
- CodeWriter23 6y ago
  > In the US, raw almonds are also fumigated with propylene oxide, a probable carcinogen. Buy organic almonds.
stevespang 6y ago
Not only are almonds (and most nuts) high in oxalates, but almonds as a crop use stunningly high amounts of water.
silicon2401 6y ago
Pleasantly surprised to see someone already mentioned this. With 10x as many people developing kidney stones in their lifetimes compared to having celiac disease, it would be great if foods came with an oxalate warning as needed.

Almonds are really high in oxalates. Hopefully no one involved developed kidney stones...

hammock 6y ago

In the US, raw almonds are also fumigated with propylene oxide, a probable carcinogen.

Fnoord 6y ago
Almond production requires a lot of water [1] which taxes our environment. Especially given the drought and climate change. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond#Sustainability https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond#Sustainability
- nightski 6y ago
  Last time I looked water use wasnt much more than a tomato when compared on a per calorie basis. I'd love to be shown evidence to the contrary however.
  - apcragg 6y ago
    True, but people aren't exactly consuming tomatoes for their caloric content in a way they would for say, nuts or grains.
  - Fnoord 6y ago
    As already mentioned you don't eat tomato for calories. Main use is flavor (caveat: cheap application of tomato is the "Holländische Wasserbomben" as the Germans call it which is good sale if you sell per weight. Works with ignorant customers who require just "tomatoes"). 3 almonds are equivalent to 1 tomato according to this Mother Jones article (2014) [1]. AFAIK our almonds here in NL are imported, while we are known for our tomato export. [1] https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/wheres-californias-water-going/ https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/wheres-calif...
- a3n 6y ago
  Even worse because of where they grow almonds, in the California Central Valley. That place isn't as dry as a bone; bones are as dry as it.
- codemac 6y ago
  Almonds are ~9% or so of our ag water supply, feed for meat and meat products use 50%+ of our ag water supply. Note that agricultural water use is ~40% of water use. Also note that California produces 80% of the world's almonds, but something like 1% of the world's meat. It's not even sensible to discuss almonds in the face of water use for meat production. As long as your calories are filtered through another mammal, it will always be extremely inefficient.
  - mod 6y ago
    Almonds have got to be a tiny percentage of our food supply as compared to meat, though. It would make more sense as a water-to-calorie comparison of almonds vs meat.
    - JoeAltmaier 6y ago
      Yeah 2lbs per person per year in the US.
    - codemac 6y ago
      > It would make more sense as a water-to-calorie comparison of almonds vs meat. Alfalfa uses a metric crapton more water per calorie, and is the main source of feed for many cattle & hogs. I think if you do the water-to-calorie comparison, the numbers will only get much much worse for meat due to the mammal's energy that needs to be fed, but I'm more than happy to be proven wrong.
      - mod 6y ago
        Sure, but I've never seen a farmer watering their hayfield, and I live in the country so I would have. I personally don't consider it "water usage" for a plant to soak up rain; it only becomes a problem when we're pulling water out of non-replenishing sources, or those that don't replenish as quickly as we use them up. Aquifers etc. Or diverting entire streams & rivers, things like that. My garden "uses" a lot of water each year, but it's all rainwater. I don't pump any water onto it from anywhere. If it weren't my garden, it would be some native plants in their stead. Edit: Also, I got curious and googled this topic, came up with this: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=17721 https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1772...
- Rzor 6y ago
  Interestingly and a bit off-topic, Michael Burry (of The Big Short movie/Scion Capital fame) had a few plays on almond farms regarding water scarcity. It seems that he left his positions a few years ago, but the whole California water wars thing is quite unsettling.
- samatman 6y ago
  Israeli almond production requires 1/20th the water used in California. Their big secret? A pipe inserted to 3 feet of depth, next to each tree, and watering into the pipe instead of spraying it on the ground. Almond production does not require a lot of water. California almond growers use a lot of water because they're allowed to get away with it.
  - csdreamer7 6y ago
    More info on senior and junior water rights in California. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/board_info/faqs.html https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/board_info/faqs.h... Do you have any sources on that specific 1/20th water usage claim?
intro-b 6y ago
I was surprised to hear this, but found some additional sources: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/05/19/407760579/what-does-raw-mean-when-it-comes-to-almonds-you-might-be-surprised https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/05/19/407760579/wh... https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Propylene_oxide#section=Top https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Propylene_oxide#se... The amount of propylene oxide remaining on the almond after pasteurization and whether or not it would have substantial effects on humans after consumption doesn't seem clear, but I didn't know that before. Apparently organic or specialty almonds be pasteurized with steam and other non-chemical techniques.
CodeWriter23 6y ago
> In the US, raw almonds are also fumigated with propylene oxide, a probable carcinogen. Buy organic almonds.

stevespang 6y ago

Not only are almonds (and most nuts) high in oxalates, but almonds as a crop use stunningly high amounts of water.

silicon2401 6y ago

Pleasantly surprised to see someone already mentioned this. With 10x as many people developing kidney stones in their lifetimes compared to having celiac disease, it would be great if foods came with an oxalate warning as needed.