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Vathada

Prunus dulcis

Vathada (Prunus dulcis) is a plant drug, also called Vatamam and Badama. Almond protein has high digestibility (>85%). Monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid) are well absorbed (>90%). Polyphenols from almond skin have low bioavailability (~5-15%) but are converted to bioactive metabolites by gut microbiota.

Key facts
Botanical namePrunus dulcis
FamilyRosaceae
Names in other languages
Sanskritवातामम् (vātāmam)
Hindiबादाम (bādāma)
Tamilவாதுமை

Sources: Flowers of India, Prunus dulcis ('Almond') page: 'Hindi: बादाम Badam, बदाम'; Flowers of India, Prunus dulcis ('Almond') page: 'Sanskrit: वातामम Vatamam'; corroborated by wisdomlib's Vatada/Vātāda entry ('the almond tree', Prunus amygdalus = Prunus dulcis) and by Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages for almond, which records the Sanskrit forms vātāma and bādāma alongside Middle Persian wādām; Flowers of India, Prunus dulcis ('Almond') page: 'Tamil: வாதுமை Vaadumai'. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2008 to 2025, every one with a DOI.

  • 5Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 7Laboratory and animal studies

A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Everything listed here is laboratory or animal work, which does not show an effect in people. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishAlmond

Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)

PropertyValueDescription
Rasa (Taste)MadhuraPrimary taste
Guna (Quality)Guru, SnigdhaPhysical quality
Virya (Potency)UshnaHeating/Cooling effect
Vipaka (Post-digestive)MadhuraPost-digestive effect

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Kernel (raw or processed), Oil (Vathada Taila/Almond oil), Churna (powder), Capsule (oil-filled softgel), Milk (Vathada Kshira), Paste

Standard Dosage: 5-10 almonds (soaked and peeled) daily; 5-10 mL almond oil internally; 3-6 g kernel powder with milk twice daily

Optimal Timing: Morning with warm milk for Medhya (cognitive) effect; soaked almonds (overnight) eaten first thing in morning; oil at bedtime with milk for Vata-pacifying action

Storage: Kernels and powder in airtight containers at 15-25 deg C; refrigeration (2-8 deg C) extends shelf life. Oil in dark glass bottles, protect from light and heat. Allergen: contains tree nuts.

Marker Compounds: alpha-Tocopherol, Oleic acid, Linoleic acid, Palmitic acid, Amygdalin (absent/trace in sweet variety), Catechin (skin), Epicatechin (skin), Kaempferol, Phytosterols

Synergistic Combinations

  • Kesar (Crocus sativus/saffron) - traditional brain tonic combination (Badam + Kesar in milk)
  • Ashwagandha - cognitive and strength-building synergy
  • Mishri (rock sugar) - traditional Medhya (brain tonic) combination
  • Warm milk as vehicle - enhances absorption and Vata-pacifying action

Published research

Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.

Other clinical studies and reviews5

  1. Golsorkhi H, Qorbani M, Sabbaghzadegan S and others. 2023. Herbal medicines in the treatment of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): An updated systematic review of clinical trialsAvicenna journal of phytomedicine. PMID 37663386 · doi:10.22038/AJP.2022.21115
  2. Tomishima H, Luo K, Mitchell AE. 2022. The Almond (Prunus dulcis): Chemical Properties, Utilization, and Valorization of CoproductsAnnual review of food science and technology. PMID 34936815 · doi:10.1146/annurev-food-052720-111942
  3. Beltrán Sanahuja A, Maestre Pérez SE, Grané Teruel N and others. 2021. Variability of Chemical Profile in Almonds (Prunus dulcis) of Different Cultivars and OriginsFoods (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 33450909 · doi:10.3390/foods10010153
  4. Barreca D, Nabavi SM, Sureda A and others. 2020. Almonds (Prunus Dulcis Mill. D. A. Webb): A Source of Nutrients and Health-Promoting CompoundsNutrients. PMID 32121549 · doi:10.3390/nu12030672
  5. López-Moral A, Agustí-Brisach C, Lovera M and others. 2020. Almond Anthracnose: Current Knowledge and Future PerspectivesPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 32726936 · doi:10.3390/plants9080945

Laboratory and animal studies7

  1. Decroocq S, Cornille A, Dlalah N and others. 2025. Insights Into the Almond Domestication HistoryEvolutionary applications. PMID 40901495 · doi:10.1111/eva.70150
  2. Moll L, Giralt N, Planas M and others. 2024. Prunus dulcis response to novel defense elicitor peptides and control of Xylella fastidiosa infectionsPlant cell reports. PMID 38976088 · doi:10.1007/s00299-024-03276-x
  3. Ben Khadher T, Sassi-Aydi S, Aydi S and others. 2023. Phytochemical Profiling and Biological Potential of Prunus dulcis Shell ExtractsPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 37514346 · doi:10.3390/plants12142733
  4. Badalamenti N, Bruno M, Loizzo MR and others. 2023. Antibacterial activity and chemical characterization of almond (Prunus dulcis L.) peel extractNatural product research. PMID 35876171 · doi:10.1080/14786419.2022.2103556
  5. D'Amico-Willman KM, Ouma WZ, Meulia T and others. 2022. Whole-genome sequence and methylome profiling of the almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb] cultivar 'Nonpareil'G3 (Bethesda, Md.). PMID 35325123 · doi:10.1093/g3journal/jkac065
  6. Crous PW, Wingfield MJ, Schumacher RK and others. 2020. New and Interesting Fungi. 3Fungal systematics and evolution. PMID 32904192 · doi:10.3114/fuse.2020.06.09
  7. Sánchez-Pérez R, Jørgensen K, Olsen CE and others. 2008. Bitterness in almondsPlant physiology. PMID 18192442 · doi:10.1104/pp.107.112979

Reference lists that include it

Catechin, Kaempferol

Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.

Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.

Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.