Evidence supporting the use of: Sweet Almond
For the health condition: Cough (dry)
Synopsis
Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2
Sweet Almond (Prunus amygdalus dulcis) has a long history of use in traditional medicine systems, particularly in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Unani medicine, for the management of dry coughs. In TCM, sweet almonds (often referred to as "Xing Ren") are believed to moisten the lungs and relieve cough, especially when dryness is a predominant symptom. Similarly, historical texts from the Unani system describe the use of almond oil to soothe mucous membranes and alleviate irritation associated with dry, persistent coughs.
Despite this traditional use, modern scientific studies directly investigating sweet almond or its oil for cough relief are limited. While almonds contain nutrients and bioactive compounds such as fatty acids, vitamin E, and antioxidants, these do not have a well-established mechanism for suppressing cough or moistening respiratory tract mucosa in contemporary clinical research. Most of the available evidence remains anecdotal or is based on traditional formulations rather than rigorous clinical trials.
In summary, the use of sweet almond for dry cough is primarily justified by traditional practices rather than robust scientific validation. The traditional rationale centers around the emollient and soothing properties of almond oil, but there is currently a lack of high-quality clinical evidence to confirm its efficacy for this purpose.
Other ingredients used for Cough (dry)
Aloe veraalpha-pinene
apple
waterhyssop
benegut perilla (proprietary)
beta-pinene
black currant
black pepper
radish
Indian frankincense
cat's claw
Chinese salvia root
cinnamon
clove
cowage seed
turmeric
elderberry
garlic bulb
ginger
glehnia root
greek mountain tea
onion
green tea
heartwood
Indian tinospora
jujube
lemon
licorice root
marshmallow
nettle
ophiopogon root
oregano
parsley
pear
phellodendron amurense
platycodon root
plum fruit
polygala root
pomegranate
thyme
vitamin C
zhejiang fritillary
zinc
sarsaparilla
boneset
mullein
tangerine
hyssop
atractylodes
Indian bael
malabar nut
alpinia galangal
hedychium spicatum
inula racemosa
anise
pistacia integerrima gall
fumaria parviflora
fritillaria
yerba santa
elecampane
dodder
sweet flag
menthol oil
Alcohol
Agastache
Anamarrhena
Ambergris
Acacia
Asarum heterotropoides
Aconite
Asafoetida
Aerva lanata
Asam gelugor
Adenophora
Allium tuberosum
Asarum sieboldii
Atractylone
Black Seed
Bermuda Grass
Bryonia
Bayleaf
Bael
Butternut
Baccharoides anthelmintica
black salt
Bee products
Buddha's Hand
banana
Bassia scoparia
Burning Bush
Balloon Flower
Belamcanda
Bergenia
Cactus
Citron
Citrus
Cineole
Capsaicin
Cistus
Cubeb
Cowslip
Chaenomeles lagenaria
Calamus
Cinnamaldehyde
Clerodendrum indicum
Dragonhead
Diterpenes
Dichrostachys glomerata
Echinacea
Elder
Ephedrine
Fruit
Fritillary
Fernbush
Flavoglycosides
Fringed Pink
Glehnia littoralis
Guava
gum
Gallesia
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Honey
Honey loquat syrup
Hempnettle
Ilex
Long Pepper
Japanese Kadsura
Javanese Long Pepper
Khella
Loquat
Lactucarium
Lilium polyphyllum
Linden
Luffa
Lindera
Large-Leaved Linden
Loranthus
Lungwort
Ligusticum
Mentha haplocalyx
Mucilage
Melia
Mace
Maidenhair Fern
Nigella Seed
Nutmeg
Ophiopogon
Osha
Osmanthus
Phellodendron
Palmyra
Piper chaba
Polymorpha
Prepared Aconite Tuber
Platycodon
Pepper
Paris polyphylla
Pelargonium
Pimpinella
Poppy
Polygala
Ravinsara
Reed Herb
Rhododendron
Sabadilla
Stephania root
Sete sangrias
Solanaceae
Stemona
Shogaol
Sundew
Sedanenolide
Terpenoids
Theobromine
Tea
Thymoquinone
Tonka Bean
Thymol
Tragacanth
Tamarind
Vasicine
Vladimiria souliei
Vasicinol
Vasicinone
Wax Gourd
Zedoary
Zingerone
Other health conditions supported by Sweet Almond
Acid IndigestionAsthma
Burns and Scalds
Cardiovascular Disease
Cholesterol (high)
Constipation (adults)
Constipation (children)
Cough (dry)
Cough (general)
Diabetes
Dyspepsia
Gastritis
Hair (loss or thinning)
Hair Care (general)
Hypertension
Inflammation
Pain (general remedies for)
Psoriasis