In the quest for optimum health, getting enough vitamins and minerals is key, though some people take vitamins or minerals as a preventative or even curative measure. One such vitamin, B-17, is sometimes sold and used as a cancer-fighting or curing substance, though the evidence for its effectiveness is not clear. Talk to a physician if you need medical advice about B-17 or are considering using it.
Chemical Makeup
A vitamin is an organic compound produced by plants and animals, and people typically get vitamins by ingesting these plants and animals. Though commonly marketed or referred to as a vitamin, B-17 isn't really a vitamin at all, according to the the National Cancer Institute: It is a chemical compound known as amygdalin. There also is a purified form of the compound made from crushed apricot pits and known as laetrile or laetrile/amygdalin, while Laetrile is the name of the patented and partially synthetic form of the compound.
History
French chemists first isolated amygdalin in 1830, and by 1845 people were using the substance as an anticancer agent in Russia, according to the National Cancer Institute. The first use of amygdalin in the United States took place in the 1920s, typically administered in pill form. Health care providers later judged the pills as too toxic, and a purported nontoxic, intravenous, partially synthetic version of the substance was patented as Laetrile in the 1950s.
Effectiveness
Scientists have performed various studies of amygdalin/laetrile as a cancer treatment, and laboratory tests with animals have shown that Laetrile has little effect or success against cancer, according to the National Cancer Institure. Amygdalin contains cyanide, which scientists believe is the active ingredient that kills cancer. While there are anecdotal reports about the cancer-treating effects of laetrile, there have been two clinical tests examining the compound's effects on cancer patients, neither of which showed any clear evidence of laetrile's cancer-treating effectiveness.
Uses and Cautions
The FDA has not approved either the purified Laetrile or amygdalin as a cancer medication or treatment, though the substance is available in Mexico. The National Cancer Institute reports that Laetrile compounds from Mexico can vary in purity as well as in contents, and some products have been found mislabeled and even containing bacteria. Laetrile also has negative side effects that are similar to cyanide poisoning. These include fever, nausea, vomiting, liver damage, coma and death.
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