The Truth about Vitamin B17

The popular belief that bitter apricot kernels destroy cancer cells is not true. Apricot seeds contain cyanide compounds known as amygdalin or also known as vitamin B17. In metabolism, a substance in the body that kills cancer cells, but does not touch healthy cells will result from amygdalin.

Dr. Siebenhüner explains.:

“Amygdalin only acts by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, but not the destruction of malignant cells.”

The conclusion first:

“Amygdalin can cause destruction of only cancer cells by utilizing oxygen according to cyanide / hydrocyanic acid theory -. And that’s only a small percentage”

Facts:
“Amygdalin is a substance which is initially not toxic, but is converted into a potent powerful poison (cyanide or a cyanide salt) under the action of the enzyme beta-glucosidase. This beta-glucosidase is present in cancer cells, so that hydrocyanic acid or a cyanide salt may arise. Hydrocyanic acid blocks cellular respiration in normal cells. A poisoned cell can no longer exploit vital oxygen and will suffocate (ie they will die).
The primary toxicity of hydrogen cyanide is in blocking the oxygen binding site in the respiratory chain of the healthy cells of the body. Another enzyme, rhodanese, detoxifies cyanide in healthy cells. Cancer cells, especially the aggressive forms, have a predominantly fermentative metabolism, ie, these cells ferment only glucose. “

What does this mean in terms of hydrocyanic acid?

“Here the cyanide cannot act as these fermenting cancer cells use no oxygen, but only ferment glucose. This means that here amygdalin can in principle not act destructively. ”

Conclusion:

“Amygdalin can cause destruction in cells that utilize oxygen, according to the cyanide / hydrocyanic acid theory, only in select cancer cells -. And that’s only a small percentage”
Nevertheless, it has been shown in a pilot study at the University of Frankfurt that amygdalin resulted in bladder cancer therapy in a significant result in the form of an inhibition of cancer growth. This can be explained through an effect of cell division (Down regulation of Cdk2 and cyclin A). That is, amygdalin only acts through inhibition of the growth of the cancer cells, but not by a destruction of these malignant cells. A Chinese research group has studied the positive effect of amygdalin in cervical cancer.

An additional effect of amygdalin is also an analgesic effect.