Vitamin B17, also called amygdalin or laetrile, may prevent or even cure cancer, according to some studies. A special report by the "New England Journal of Medicine" found insufficient data to support this claim. However, many health experts still recommend foods rich in vitamin B17 as an anticancer agent. One such food is apricots.
B17 Basics
Vitamin B17 appears naturally in not only apricots, but in the seeds and pits of many fruits, grasses and grains. When digested, it breaks down into glucose, benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide, according to an article by Dr. Benjamin Wilson. Proponents of B17 claim that this compound can kill cancer cells, much the same way that chemotherapy poisons and kills them.
Source
Apricot pits are where you will find the B17 in an apricot. To get at the B17, steep the pit in a tea or grind it down to a powder. You can also buy apricot pit supplements at holistic and alternative health stores or websites in pill or powder form.
How it Works
According to Dr. Ernst Krebs' theory, the cyanide in vitamin B17 is what kills cancer cells. The theory states that cancer cells contain enzymes that release the hydrogen cyanide, which then kills the cancer cells. Krebs' theory further postulates that healthy tissues produce a different enzyme that protects them from the cyanide. This process means that B17 kills cancer cells but leaves healthy cells alone. According to the "New England Journal of Medicine," no clinical tests have successfully supported this claim.
Controversy
According to Wilson, B17 was originally tried for anticancer purposes during the late 19th century. In the 1950s, Krebs conducted animal and human testing to determine the effectiveness of B17 against cancer. Proponents of B17 claim that Ernst's testing proved that B17 is an effective cancer agent. Detractors claim that no significant benefit derived from using B17. Despite its popularity among alternative medicine advocates, Krebs and other proponents of B17 have faced civil and criminal action for selling products based on the claim that B17 cures cancer.
Toxicity
Although the cancer-killing properties of vitamin B17 have not been proven, their cyanide content is a matter of scientific record. Cyanide is a dangerous poison. Although the amount of cyanide found in an apricot pit is a fraction of the lethal dose, the toxicity of vitamin B17 as it exists in apricots pushed the German government to discontinue its medicinal use in the late 19th century.
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