Apricot kernels extract – provides minerals, however in supplementation it is used mainly because of the content of amygdalin. It is a glycoside, however it is also wrongly called vitamin B17; it is common in naturopathy as a part of cancer treatment. Such property results from the activity of amygdalin metabolite, hydrogen cyanide, against cancer cells.
There is still no exisiting evidence for the real activity of vitamin B17 against cancers. The most probable is its preventative action; the analysis of health among people consuming apricot kernels as an element of traditional local cuisine proved that cancers are much rarer than on other continents. According to the treatment of already diagnosed cancer, the apricot kernels extract can be considered after consultation with a doctor and as a treatment support.
Apricot kernels extract can be toxic in excessive quantities. Too large doses of amygdalin can result in symptoms similar to cyanide poisoning.