Apricot seeds have long been used in alternative medicine, mainly because of their alleged anti-cancer properties. Some people consider apricot kernels a cure for cancer and replace traditional chemotherapy with them. This article is devoted to the question of whether it is possible to treat apricot kernels from cancer, and what effect they have on the human body.

Can I use apricot kernels for cancer?

Apricot seeds, or amygdalin found in them, are considered a hidden cure for cancer. The name of this substance comes from the word almonds. After the substance, now known as amygdalin or vitamin B17, was isolated, the researcher gave it the working name vitamin B12. But since at that time 16 vitamins of this group had already been found, later the name was changed to vitamin B17.

The first attempts to treat cancer with this compound date back to 1845. Since then, many studies have been conducted looking for whether anticancer substances are contained in this chemical compound.

Initially, the anticarcinogenic properties of amygdalin were explained by the activity of one of the hydrolytic enzymes (glucosidase), which breaks down the bond between glucose molecules. As a result of its action, glucose, benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide are formed.

In cancer-transformed cells, the activity of this enzyme increases with a simultaneous deficiency of rhodanase, the task of which is the conversion of cyanides into less harmful compounds. A decrease in rhodanase activity leads to the accumulation of harmful cyanides in the tumor cell and its destruction. This theory was later refuted.

Another point of view explaining the anticancer mechanism of amygdalin, obtained from the kernels of bitter apricot, is that the amygdala can be considered as a vitamin, and its deficiency will contribute to the development of oncology. This theory also met with rejection, moreover, it was believed that amygdalin should not be called vitamin B17.

Did you know? In the 1950s, American doctor Ernst T. Krebs isolated vitamin B17. After which the doctor put forward the thesis that cancer is the result of its deficiency in the human body, since the vitamin has a very effective anti-cancer effect.

It was also found that the ability of this compound to destroy cancer cells is associated with the release of cyanides cytotoxic to cancer cells. Some sources also claim that the presence of amygdalin can cause the release of a specific immune response of the body, aimed at the destruction of mutant cells.

However, the version most likely seems to be the one according to which amygdalin prevented the incorporation of thymidine (one of the nitrogenous compounds building DNA) into the genetic material of cells and, thus, inhibited the proliferation of these tumor-transformed cells.

To date, experiments have shown that in vitro amygdalin acts as an inhibitor of the proliferation of cancer cells, stopping their further division and stimulating cell death, which also reduces the risk of metastases and relapses. These studies have shown that amygdalin is effective against cancer of the prostate, uterus, or breast cancer.

Amygdalin contained in the bitter seeds of apricots is a rather interesting combination with a potential anti-cancer effect. However, further research is needed to cover a wide range of different cell types, both in vitro and in vivo.

Useful properties of apricot kernels in oncology

Alternative medicine, seen as an alternative treatment, has its supporters around the world. One controversial topic is the treatment and prevention of cancer using apricot kernel kernels or oil.

The fight against this serious disease, according to alternative medicine, can be successful with apricot kernel kernels. The supposed antitumor properties are not possessed by the fruit itself, but by a stone, the filling of which is often called bitter almond.

However, for many, cancer is tantamount to a death sentence, and the only way to cure it is through traditional chemotherapy. It is important to really assess the effect of the drug on the prevention of malignant tumors, it is possible, nevertheless, that alternative medicine can stop such a serious disease.

The content of apricot kernels, also known as a cure for cancer, is very widely used not only for medicinal purposes, but also for prevention. An oil extract obtained from apricot seeds is a source of magnesium, iron, potassium and phosphorus. The effect of the hood on cancer is not the only positive effect on human health.

• Positive properties of apricot kernel extracts:
• the tool helps to fight colds and flu, thanks to the strengthening of immunity;
• reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering the level of bad cholesterol, possibly due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, which are necessary for health;
• relieves arthritis symptoms due to anti-inflammatory properties.

A key ingredient in apricot kernel content is the fairly rare vitamin B17. This unique chemical compound gives the product a bitter specific taste and, according to proponents of the drug, fights a malignant tumor. Check out

Features of the use of apricot kernels Despite an unproven theory, there are many studies that confirm that in countries where residents consume more vitamin B17, the incidence of cancer is low.

The seeds of bitter apricot come from wild varieties of apricot trees. They are a rich source of minerals, especially magnesium.

In addition to vitamin B17, they contain many vitamins A, E, B15, B6 and B1 and essential fatty acids for the human body.

The benefits of nuclei have been known for centuries in Chinese folk medicine, and have been used to treat respiratory diseases, indigestion, high blood pressure, and joint diseases.

What diseases can cure apricot kernels?

In addition to arguing about the ability of apricot kernels to fight cancer, there are other health benefits that arise from the presence of the plant compound amygdalin:

1. Increases immunity - it slows down the spread of diseases in the body, neutralizing harmful cells, but how this happens, medicine is not entirely clear. A study published in the International Journal of Radiation and Biology showed that the amygdalin compound stimulated the immune system, causing a significant increase in the patient's leukocyte ability to attack harmful cells. One theory of the influence of amygdalin suggests that the conversion of normal cells to dangerous cells that can cause disease is usually prevented by beneficial enzymes produced in the pancreas. Thus, vitamin B17 can help increase the production of pancreatic enzymes that destroy the harmful properties in the body.
   

2. Relieves pain - although some studies that tested the components of apricot kernels as anti-cancer compounds did not reveal changes in cancer cells, some of them reported that patients reported a reduction in pain. In a series of described cases published in 1962, 10 patients with metastatic cancer (that is, spreading from one part of the body to another) were treated with a wide range of doses of intravenous amygdalin. Pain relief was the main reported benefit, but also reduced swelling of the lymph nodes and a decrease in tumor size were reported.
   

3. It treats arthritis - in Chinese pharmacology apricot kernels are used to treat arthritis pain. The fiber present in the bones traps acids and other toxins in the digestive system, drawing them out of the body. The nuclei also relieve intoxication, so they reduce inflammation in the body and serve as a natural treatment for arthritis.
4. Lowers high blood pressure - Apricot seeds can trigger a reaction of low blood pressure due to the formation of thiocyanate, a powerful agent that lowers blood pressure. At the beginning of the twentieth century, thiocyanate was used to treat hypertension, but at this time the drug is not used due to reports of its toxicity. However, sodium nitroprusside and the metabolite of thiocyanate (obtained from the same place) are still used to treat hypertension.

Important! Although the chemical components present in apricot seeds can help lower your blood pressure, studies show that it's not completely safe.

How to make a medicine?

According to the adherents of alternative medicine, only seeds of wild apricots are suitable for the manufacture of a medicine. In the kernels of ennobled varietal plants with sweet fruits, the amygdalin content is much lower.

How to do:

1. Fresh apricot kernels from the fruits of this year are taken, washed well and dried in the shade.
2. Using a hammer or other heavy object, the bones are broken so as not to crush the nucleus.
3. The pulled out kernels are laid out on paper and dried in a room or on the street in the shade until they become dry.
4. Dry cores are poured into a paper or cardboard container and stored in a cabinet where it is dry and dark.

Eat dried apricot kernels dry and whole, like nuts, or grind in a blender before eating. Pharmacists also prepare oil from this product, which is recommended both for oral use against cancer and for external use.

How to take and in what dosages?

Doctors do not recommend the use of bitter apricot kernels and bitter almonds. But without prejudice to health, an adult can eat no more than 1–4 kernels of apricot kernels or bitter almonds per day. A higher dose can cause serious health risks.

The allowable and safe amount was calculated on the basis of the maximum allowable daily dose of 20 μg / kg body weight per day. This dosage has been established by the Joint Expert Committee on Nutritional Supplements of the WHO (JECFA) based on an average of 0.5 mg of cyanide per apricot kernel.

Doctors have not yet proven the effect of vitamin B17 on cancer treatment. It can be used for regular prophylactic use, but it is important not to exceed the recommended daily dose of the product.

It is important to remember that “there is medicine in the spoon, and poison in the barrel”, so you need to be careful not to overdo it with taking apricot kernels. Excess can cause side effects such as nausea, dizziness.

• To take apricot seeds benefit their kernel:
• must be bitter, taken from wild bitter apricots, a sweet variety will not have the desired effect;
• grown in organic farming, otherwise their use may do more harm than good;
• should be stored under appropriate conditions, preferably in paper packaging, in a dry and dark place;
• they cannot be cooked or fried, because then they lose their properties.

Find out in more detail how much apricot kernels can be eaten per day.

Contraindications

Apricot seeds are a rather dangerous product to eat, so it is not recommended for use by pregnant women, nursing mothers, young children and people with a sick heart. Adult consumption of 30 apricot kernels and only 10 kernels by children is associated with the risk of fatal poisoning.

The lethal dose of hydrogen cyanide is 1 mg / kg body weight. Symptoms and the course of poisoning depend on the rate of cyanide metabolism in the body and on the content of hydrochloric acid and glucose, which regulate the absorption of substances from the gastrointestinal tract.

The mechanism of the toxic effect of cyanide ions is associated with the possibility of combination with iron Fe3 +. This in turn violates the respiratory processes of the cells - the cell cannot use the blood supplied with oxygen, and the venous blood has an exceptionally bright color.

Hydrogen cyanide also has an affinity for hemoglobin and methemoglobin. It may also have teratogenic and mutagenic effects. Violation of aerobic metabolism is associated with impaired function of the nervous system.

Disorders in the nerve centers result in cardiac arrhythmias (usually tachycardia, that is, too high a heart rate). There is an increase in blood pressure, followed by a drop in blood pressure, leading to a collapse.

Did you know? The first mention of the healing properties of apricot and peach kernels was found in Egyptian papyrus, written by them almost 5000 years before our time, much later similar in meaning records were found in China.

In the case of food poisoning, the gastric mucosa is damaged (erosion and congestion appear). Symptoms of poisoning vary in severity, depending on the dose used.

Signs of apricot kernel poisoning:

1. Dyspnea, cramps, confusion, chest tightness and pain, acidosis, nausea and vomiting, mydriasis, and loss of consciousness are usually observed.
2. Finally, there is paralysis with the involuntary excretion of feces and urine, which leads to death.
3. The patient's skin acquires a cherry color.
4. With mild poisoning, headache, nausea, impaired speech and balance are observed.

Chronic intoxication leads to severe symptoms of acute poisoning.

Small doses of hydrogen cyanide can be metabolized and excreted on an ongoing basis, but they cause the so-called micro damage, causing headaches, discomfort from the digestive system, disorders of the nervous system and blood circulation, weakness and weight loss.

People tend to believe in miracles, and no one can take this right away from them, but in case of cancer, you should not lose precious time, which expires so quickly. The patient needs to immediately seek help from specialists and receive high-quality medical care.