Know2eat

Almond oil

Prunus dulcis

What almond oil has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About almond oil

Oil pressed from sweet almond kernels, dominated by monounsaturated oleic acid and closer in fatty-acid profile to olive oil than to most nut oils. Much of what is sold under this name is cosmetic grade rather than food grade, which is the first thing to check on a bottle.

Also known as Sweet almond oil, Huile d amande douce

Heart HealthSkin Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Has been studied as a monounsaturated fat source, and small trials report modest LDL cholesterol reductions when it displaces saturated fat. The much larger almond literature used whole almonds, whose fibre and plant sterols are removed during pressing, so the two should not be treated as interchangeable.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Skin structure and hydration

Skin Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for almond oil and skin. The small trials that exist applied it topically rather than testing it as a food, and the outcomes were short-term and subjective. Nothing about eating the oil has been studied for skin.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Almond oil

Ask about Almond oil

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories884 kcal44%
Protein0 g0%
Total fat100 g128%
Carbohydrate0 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water0 g—
Fats
Saturated fat8.2 g41%
Monounsaturated fat69.9 g—
Polyunsaturated fat17.4 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)17.4 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E39.2 mg261%
Vitamin K7 µg6%
Thiamin (B1)0 mg0%
Riboflavin (B2)0 mg0%
Niacin (B3)0 mg0%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0 mg0%
Vitamin B60 mg0%
Folate0 µg0%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline0.4 mg0%
Minerals
Calcium0 mg0%
Iron0 mg0%
Magnesium0 mg0%
Phosphorus0 mg0%
Potassium0 mg0%
Sodium0 mg0%
Zinc0 mg0%
Copper0 mg0%
Selenium0 µg0%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Oil, almond (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171031).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • rawPreserves tocopherols and aroma

    Cold-pressed almond oil keeps its aroma and vitamin E; refining removes the flavour along with most of the minor fraction and raises the smoke point. Which you want depends entirely on whether the oil is doing flavour work or heat work.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Tree nut allergen

    Almond is a major regulated tree nut allergen. Cold-pressed almond oil carries residual nut protein and is not safe in almond allergy; highly refined oils carry less but are not reliably labelled, so the safe assumption is that the oil is off-limits.

  • Worth knowing

    Cosmetic grade is not food grade

    A large share of retail almond oil is produced and packaged for skin and massage use. It is not held to food-grade processing or storage standards and may be blended or stabilised for that purpose. Only buy bottles explicitly sold as edible.

  • Worth knowing

    Bitter almond oil is a different substance

    Sweet almond oil, the food oil, is unrelated to bitter almond essential oil, which is distilled from bitter almond kernels and must have its cyanide-releasing fraction removed before any food use. The two names are close enough to cause real confusion.

  • Too much

    Energy density

    Pure fat, and expensive enough that it is usually used sparingly — but the calories per tablespoon are the same as any other oil.