Amygdalin (aka: Laetrile or Vitamin B17)

The simplified claim is that this substance (a cyanogenic glycoside found in nuts, plants, and the pits of certain fruits) has the potential to kill cancer cells.  Promoters claim that the cyanide released, when amygdalin is broken down by enzymes in the intestine, selectively kills cancer cells and leaves normal tissue cells unharmed.


There are many warnings of cyanide poisoning by consuming too much of this substance.

Fruit seeds of the Rosaceae family have higher levels of amygdalin.  Some examples are cherries, plums, apricots, peaches, apples, and almonds.
It is important to note that processed foods have lower levels of amygdalin.  Because of this, when seeking apricot kernels for this substance, you want to aquire the raw and bitter kernels, since the levels will be much higher.  It has been recommended to avoid products from Turkey or China.

It is also important to note that seeds must be physically crushed or chewed in order to fully expose the cyanogenic glycosides to your digestive system.

Unfortunately, determining a dosage (amount of seeds to eat) is extremely difficult.  One rule-of-thumb we've come across was to avoid eating more seeds than would be in the number of fruit you would normally eat.  For example, if you would normally eat 4 apricots a day, then don't eat more than 4 apricot kernels in a day.  However, we are unsure if this guideline is safe, or of any value.



Not all fruit in the world has been tested, but out of the many that have, here are some of the results: