Amygdalin Vitamin B17 110 mg by Dr. Clark Store

POSSIBLY INEFFECTIVE

• Cancer. Oral apricot kernel does not seem to be effective for cancer. Details: Clinical research shows that taking apricot kernel, the constituent amygdalin, or laetrile, a purified and semi-synthetic form of amygdalin, does not appear to be effective for treating cancer. These products also precipitate cyanide toxicity (4,5,31757). There is insufficient reliable information available about the effectiveness of apricot kernel for its other uses.

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LIKELY SAFE ...when purified apricot kernel oil is used orally in food amounts. Purified apricot kernel oil has Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the US (4912,105943). ...when purified apricot kernel oil is applied topically (105943).

POSSIBLY SAFE ...when apricot kernel is used orally in the diet in small amounts. Consuming no more than 1-2 small kernels or half of a large kernel daily is considered safe by the European Food Safety Authority, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, and Health Canada (105944,105945,105946).

LIKELY UNSAFE ...when apricot kernel is used orally in larger amounts. Apricot kernels provide approximately 0.5 mg cyanide per kernel, although exact cyanide content varies. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Food Safety Committee (EFSA) have set a tolerable daily intake of cyanide at 12 mcg/kg and 20 mcg/kg, respectively (105945,106501). To minimize the risk of cyanide toxicity, the EFSA, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, and Health Canada recommend against consuming more than 2 small apricot kernels or more than half of a large apricot kernel daily (105944,105945,105946). There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of using non-purified or virgin apricot kernel oil orally or topically. Partially processed apricot kernel oil may contain amygdalin and/or hydrogen cyanide in variable quantities (105943).

CHILDREN: LIKELY UNSAFE
when apricot kernel is used orally. The European Food Safety Authority, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, and Health Canada recommend against the use of apricot kernels in children. Consumption of only half of one small kernel can exceed safe levels in toddlers (105944,105945,105946).

PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: LIKELY UNSAFE
when apricot kernels are taken orally. The Hellenic Food Authority recommends that pregnant or breastfeeding patients avoid consumption of apricot kernels (4,12,105944,105945,105946).

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General ...Orally, consuming more than 2 small apricot kernels or half of a large apricot kernel daily may precipitate acute or chronic cyanide toxicity in adults. In children, apricot kernels can be toxic in any dose. Orally and topically, purified apricot kernel oil seems to be well tolerated.
Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):
Orally: Acute cyanide toxicity with large doses of apricot kernel. Chronic cyanide poisoning with long-term intake of apricot kernel.

Hepatic ...In one case report, a 58-year-old male receiving palliative chemotherapy developed elevated liver function enzymes without other signs of toxicity after consuming 70 chopped apricot kernels daily for 45 days. One week after discontinuing the use of apricot kernels, the patient still had a thiocyanate level of 71 mg/dL (94064).

Other ...Apricot kernel contains amygdalin, which is converted to cyanide in the body and can cause cyanide poisoning. Signs of acute cyanide poisoning include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, hives, rash, itchy or swollen skin, cyanosis, light-headedness, confusion, weakness, drowsiness, palpitations, hyperpnea, seizures, hypotension, and trembling. Late symptoms include respiratory failure, paralysis, coma, and death (4,31757,65124,94064,94065). There are numerous documented reports of acute cyanide toxicity after ingestion of large quantities of apricot kernels and/or amygdalin (31757,31768,65124).
Long-term ingestion of apricot kernel can also cause chronic cyanide poisoning, with symptoms of goiter, thyroid cancer, optic nerve lesions, blindness, ataxia, hypertonia, and intellectual disability. Demyelinating lesions and neuromyopathies also occur secondary to chronic exposure. Lab values indicating chronic cyanide toxicity include increased blood thiocyanate, elevated liver enzymes, and low oxygen saturation (4,94064,97500). There are case reports of chronic cyanide toxicity after long-term consumption of apricot kernels and/or amygdalin (94064,97500).

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