Vitamin B-17, which is also known as laetrile or amygdalin, is sometimes touted as a cancer weapon. The National Cancer Institute reports that vitamin B-17 may have some ability to block cancer cells, but the clinical evidence of vitamin B-17's effectiveness against cancer is inconclusive. Vitamin B-17 supplements haven't been approved for use in the United States and may be dangerous, cautions the American Cancer Society, which recommends getting vitamin B-17 from foods instead.
Nuts
Raw almonds are rich in vitamin B-17. Other nuts that provide some vitamin B-17 are macadamia and cashew nuts, according to Vitamin B17.org, which recommends eating all nuts raw to get the most vitamin B-17.
Fruits and Seeds
Both peaches and apricots are also excellent sources of vitamin B-17, but the vitamin is found in the seed pits of these fruits rather than their flesh, so you'd have to crush the pits and eat them to get much vitamin B-17 from them. However, you can get vitamin B-17 from eating the flesh of lignon cranberries, wild blackberries, choke cherries, wild crab apples and elderberries. Other seeds besides peach and apricot pits that provide vitamin B-17 include flax and millet seeds as well as the seeds of other fruits such as apples and cherries.
Beans
You can also get vitamin B-17 by eating certain types of beans including mung beans, garbanzo beans, lima beans, kidney beans and lentils, but fava beans contain the most vitamin B-17 of all beans. The National Public Radio website reports that fava beans have been a popular part of people's diets in places like Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America and North Africa for thousands of years, but only recently have gained popularity in the United States thanks to their health benefits. Fava beans are rich not only in vitamin B-17, but also in protein, iron and fiber.
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