Apricot Seeds for Cancer: Glimpses of Hope?

The apricot seed - also called the 'apricot kernel' - is a humble, fingernail-size seed nestled in the heart of the apricot fruit. Surprisingly, this seed may offer hope to people with cancer.

Around the mid-1800s, many medical practitioners began taking interest in using apricot seeds to treat cancer. One method was cancer patients would simply eat the seeds. Another involved extracting a bitter compound named amygdalin from the seeds. This was then fed to patients. However, neither apricot seeds nor amygdalin have gained acceptance in conventional medicine. The main concern raised by medical professionals is the potential for poisoning. This is because when apricot seeds or amygdalin are digested, they can react with digestive enzymes to generate a form of cyanide. As this US government factsheet notes, sources of cyanide occur naturally in many foods. The body can even detoxify small amounts of cyanide by itself. However, it is known that excess amounts can cause injury or even death by poisoning. Despite this, apricot kernels have been consumed for centuries in cultures such as China, Europe and India. They are used as food ingredients, in traditional medicine, or just by themselves as snacks. 

Estimating the individual risk of cyanide poisoning by apricot seeds does not seem straight-forward. A person's risk of poisoning corresponds not only to the quantity of seeds eaten, but also what other food they have consumed, the makeup of bacteria in their digestive tract, and their body's innate ability to detoxify cyanide. While reports of poisoning are thankfully rare, the risk is real, as attested by this 2015 report by the Australia and New Zealand food standards authority. Such concerns led Australia and New Zealand to ban the advertising and sale of raw apricot kernels for human consumption. In the US, sale of apricot seeds remains legal, but interstate trade of amygdalin is prohibited. 

A second concern with apricot seeds and amygdalin is the lack of compelling evidence of its benefit. For example, a 2019 review paper declared that no "high-quality" randomized controlled trial had yet been published on usage of amygdalin in cancer treatment. Simply put, most medical professionals do not believe there is enough clinical evidence to recommend apricot seeds or amygdalin for treating cancer. 

So there are two good reasons to avoid both apricot seeds or amygdalin: the risk of poisoning, and the lack of evidence. On the other hand, there are several compelling testimonials from people who have successfully used apricot kernels to manage their cancer. Some such stories are below. Let us start with a man named Victor.

Victor's Story

At the turn of the century, Victor Roy received a death sentence. An Australian living in the United States at the time, he had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. The disease had metastasized - spread throughout his body. Urgent, aggressive treatment - both surgery and radiation - had forced his cancer into 'remission'. But this was just a temporary respite. His doctors told Victor his type of cancer was too aggressive to stay under control. Cancer cells still lurked in his body, they said, and it was a matter of time before the tumours returned and killed him. Victor was given five years to live. In the meantime, he was to undergo a blood test every month. This test monitored Victor's level of 'Prostate Specific Antigen' or PSA. PSA is a so-called 'cancer marker' - its levels determines the possible extent of cancer in a person. Consistently high PSA levels indicate prostate cancer is present.

A few years after surgery, Victor's PSA test results began to shoot up. This indicated his prostate cancer was returning as his doctors had predicted. But Victor had been researching natural methods to fight cancer. One piece of advice was to consume apple and apricot seeds that naturally generate cyanide within the body. Victor began eating apple seeds. He then switched to apricot seeds as they were  supposedly more effective. Starting with one or two apricot seeds per day, Victor slowly increased his consumption until he was eating 10 apricot seeds daily. In response, his PSA slowly began decreasing - it went all the way down to zero. 

Heartened, Victor continued eating apricot seeds every day. About a decade after he began eating the seeds, Victor decided to have his blood tested for the presence of cyanide. Because cyanide is an extremely hazardous substance, such tests are subject to government monitoring. After his doctor booked the cyanide test, Victor got called by the police, and then the testing laboratory, investigating the reason for test. After clarifying his situation, Victor was tested by the CSIRO, the peak research body of the Australian Government. The results showed Victor's level of cyanide was less than the average person. In the month before the test, Victor had temporarily increased his intake from 10 to 25 apricot seeds per day as he wanted to see if this would make a difference. Radiography of Victor's body and measurements of his cancer markers at the same time confirmed no detectable presence of cancer. 

So far, Victor has been eating apricot seeds for almost two decades. He eats 10 seeds daily. He has noticed no harmful effects. He continues to test his PSA levels monthly, which stay flatlined at zero. Interestingly, in all these years, Victor stopped eating the seeds only three times. He recounts, "After a few years, I thought 'Hey I'm cured. I can stop eating the seeds now'". But soon after he'd stop, Victor's PSA levels would begin to increase. Spooked, he would resume eating the seeds and his PSA would again decrease back to zero. This happened on three separate occasions. "After the third time, my wife put her foot down", Victor laughs, "She said, 'That's it - you're eating these seeds the rest of your life"'.

Over the years, Victor has shared his experience with friends and acquaintances suffering other types of cancer. There has been no money involved - Victor is just happy to advocate what worked for him. He recounts some surprising stories of recovery. One is of Victor's friend, a woman with several cancer tumors who reluctantly began consuming apricot seeds. A full body scan carried out a few months later found her tumours had disappeared.

Sourcing Apricot Seeds

Apricots are widely grown in the Americas, Asia, Europe and north Africa. There are many sellers of apricot seeds all over the world. Victor lives in Australia and purchases apricot seeds from an Australia company named Australian Organic Products. Apricot kernels can also be sourced from Amazon or Ebay. However, it is important that kernels not be heat-treated after harvesting.

In line with Australian law, Australiani Organic Products's apricot seeds are sold for use in body scrubs and oils - not for human consumption. This does not stop Victor buying and eating them though. 

Over the years, Victor has become quite knowledgeable about apricot seeds. He says it's important apricot seeds be slightly bitter ("like marzipan") and freshly cracked from their apricot shells. He also says that once a packet containing seeds is opened and exposed to air, the kernels start to lose their nutritional value. So he stores seeds in airtight containers in his freezer. When there was a shortage of seeds in Australia, Victor bought apricot seeds from China and Turkey using websites such as Ebay. Victor recalls Chinese apricot seeds being smaller in size. To compensate, he consumed 15 Chinese kernels per day, instead of 10 per day. 

In India, 'Alavi Raw Bitter Apricot Kernel' apricot seeds sourced from Ladakh are sold on  the Amazon webstore. 

[Historical note: Until 2022, Victor used to source his kernels from an Australian website named Chitree.com.au, which closed its business in 2022. Somewhat unusual among apricot seed sellers, ChiTree follow a careful process for their 'Grade 1' seeds: the seeds are freshly cracked from shells, they do not fumigate or heat-treat seeds, and they ensure the delicate 'embryo' at the tip of each seed remains intact. These practices are thought to preserve the potency of seeds - so much so, these seeds can be sprouted for germination.]. 

Other Stories

• In 2010, an Australian newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald publised an article titled "Can apricot kernels keep cancer at bay?". It describes how cancer survivor Paul Reid obtained a remission of his rare and deadly lymphoma by consuming apricot seeds - upto 30 a day. Another article documents Paul's story in more detail. 

• People who consume apricot seeds all over the world communicate with each other using social media groups. One such group is the Facebook group 'I'm taking Apricot Kernels'. As an 'open' group (anyone can join), it has a fair amount of irrelevant or spam comments. However, occasionally someone posts interesting and on-point information. 

In 2018, a group member named Julia provided a remarkable testimonial: a letter by Dr. Stephen Falk, a specialist cancer doctor in the UK National Health Service, describing an unusual recovery from advanced cancer, which the patient credited to eating apricot seeds. 

Julia Gratton 12 February 2018

I have mentioned my friend David on here before and thought you would be interested to see the letter he received from the hospital [NHS UK] mentioning the advanced cancer now cleared plus the apricot kernels. Letter posted on here with his permission.

The letter was originally uploaded to the Facebook group as two separate mobile phone snapshots. It is pictured below, composited together.   

• In this 2020 post, another member, Alan Wi, documented his experience consuming apricot seeds in conjunction with other natural methods to defeat cancer tumors that returned after traditional treatment.

Alan Wi 4 September 2020 ·

Aug 2018 - Started Natural Treatments ... IV Vitamin C - 3 times a week ... Apricot Kernels/Vitamin A,B,C,D,E,K2

        ...

        CT Scan - Clear - NED - No Cancer, even the tiny tumors are gone. I am blessed and thankful to             God. 

How Apricot Seeds May Work 

The mechanism by which apricot seeds fight cancer is not known to science. One possible mechanism could involve a natural substance called rhodanese generated by cells within the body. As discussed earlier, cyanide can be generated in the body after apricot seeds are eaten. Human cells use rhodanese, a enzyme to detoxify small amounts of cyanide. Cancer cells are thought to generate less rhodanese or use it less effectively. Hence, small amounts of cyanide generated in the body may ends up primarily destroying cancer cells, leaving non-cancerous cells alone. 

Another possibility involves the enzyme β-glucosidase. This is one of the substances that convert apricot seeds into toxic cyanide within the body. The level of this enzyme have been shown to be significantly higher in cancer cells - this makes cancer cells more susceptible to cyanide generated after eating apricot seeds.  

 

Yet another possibility, noted in this paper, is that apricot seeds contain additional substances with their own anti-cancer properties. These take effect even when no cyanide is not generated by eating apricot kernels. 

With evidence present for several mechanisms, it is quite likely apricot seeds contain substances that inhibit cancer in different ways. 

Personalised Medicine and Medical Research

Certain areas in clinical medicine are experiencing a push towards personalised medicine (also known as 'targeted therapy'). This is the idea of tailoring treatment precisely to a patient, using advanced techniques such as risk profiling, genetic testing and molecular diagnostics. Instead of a 'one size fit all' approach, doctors consult vast amounts of data to find specific drugs that best suit a patient's individual situation and genetic makeup.  Personalised medicine has had some remarkable success in treating certain diseases. However, it is limited in scope (it is applicable to only a few diseases) and is generally quite expensive. Unlocking its full potential will require change, creativity and exploration in the field of medical research. 

Another factor hampering personalised medicine is development of new drug therapies today is a hugely complicated and expensive process. In response, pharmaceutical companies tend to employ careful and cautious planning for the development of 'blockbuster' drugs -- popular drugs designed to treat large groups of people and generate high revenues. This is at odds with the aims of personalised medicine, which requires different drugs tailored to treat smaller groups of people.

One way to attain the goals of personalised medicine may be to investigate remarkable cases of cancer recovery, particularly those involving inexpensive methods. For example, Victor Roy's experience with apricot seeds is remarkable on many counts: 

• He survived cancer that doctors were sure would kill him
• His cancer marker (PSA) was brought down to zero by the seeds. In addition, there was a clear 'dose-response' relationship between seeds and PSA levels (seen when Victor stopped and restarted the seeds, three times)
• He tested negative for cyanide toxicity from the seeds - indicating his body bypassed the cyanide-generating property of the seeds somehow 

Apricot seeds are cheap. Yet, as a living entity with hundreds of different phytochemicals (biologically active plant substances), a seed is more complex than any pharmaceutical man can create. When eaten, a seed generates thousands of metabolites - substances created when the body digests the seeds. Seemingly, Victor and many others like him have successfully used apricot seed metabolities in their fight against cancer. 

If science can find the specific factors involved --  metabolites, genetic makeup, cancer type, gut bacteria, cyanide detoxification ability, how seeds are processed, or a combination of factors -- this knowledge may help others suffering cancer.

APPENDIX A - Apricot Kernel Frequently Asked Questions
Victor Roy's experience with consuming apricot kernels is documented below. He made these notes based on his experience. He underlines the importance of seeking medical advice and doing research before consuming kernels (see the '**' qualification at the end)



What are Apricot Kernels

An apricot kernel is a nut found within the hard shell in apricots. Kernels can be purchased shelled, ready to use, or in their shell. Shelled kernels will need to crack open so the kernel can be removed.



Apricot kernels contain Amygdalin and other elements which may help destroy cancer cells. Anti-inflammatory properties of the kernels may also help with arthritis and maintaining blood pressure levels.



Types of apricot kernels

Apricot kernels are available from many countries and regions. The information in this document relates to kernels sourced from Australia at Australian Organic Products 

Storage

Once the packet containing the kernels is opened and exposed to air, the kernels start to lose their nutritional value. Kernels should be stored in an airtight container in a freezer will stay relatively fresh for years. After opening a new packet, transfer the kernels to an airtight container and store in a freezer.



Do they kernels contain cyanide

A doctor extracted blood from a patient who had cancer and then consumed 10 apricot kernels per day for 10 years. The blood was then analyzed by Australia's CSIRO for the presence of cyanide. The results showed the level of cyanide in the patient were less than that of an average person. The patient had no known side effects in the 10 years. At the 10 year mark, radiography of the whole body and measurements of cancer markers showed no detectable presence of cancer.



How to consume

Apricot kernels have a bitter flavour, similar to the taste of marzipan. Some people consume raw kernels. Most people, however, grind or blend the kernels and add to a fruit drink. Kernels can also simply be added into muesli. The muesli seems to mask the kernel taste.

 

 

APPENDIX B - Protocol for Consuming Apricot Kernels (**)

This section documents Victor's process of consuming apricot kernels.

 

How many?

Ask your doctor to measure the tumour marker (if the test is available for cancer type)

In the first week, people normally consume a small amount; for example, 5 kernels per day; and look out for any side effects
In the 2nd week and onwards, consume 10 kernels per day
At the end of four weeks, ask your doctor to measure tumour marker. The results of this test will show if the cancer progression has reversed, slowed down or did not change.

 

How to measure cancel levels?

The effectiveness of the kernels can be measured over time  using one of the following:

1/ Tumor marker.  The extent of many cancers can be measured by your doctor using special blood tests.  For example PSA for prostate cancer,  Her-2/neu for Breast cancer, CA-125 for Ovarian cancer.  A lower tumour marker over four weeks indicates a reversal of disease progression. 

2/ Radiography - XRays, Cat Scans and MRIs are some of the techniques your doctor can use to determine the progression of cancer. 

3/ Pain level - Some people have cancer-related pain improve in several days.

 

When to stop or lower dosage

If you experience any of the following, stop or reduce the dosage:

• headache

• diarrhoea
• dizziness
• vomiting

 

 

 

** Please seek medical advice and undertake research before consuming apricot kernels.

APPENDIX C - Research Articles on Anti-Cancer Properties of Apricot Seed Extracts

These three articles are examples of promising research on using apricot seed extracts to treat cancer. The usual drawback of research so far is it's usually based on laboratory-based testing of cell cultures (in-vitro tests), not on testing of actual human subjects (in-vivo tests).

Amygdalin Induces Apoptosis through Regulation of Bax and Bcl-2 Expressions in Human DU145 and LNCaP Prostate Cancer Cells
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/29/8/29_8_1597/_article
"amygdalin may offer a valuable option for the treatment of prostate cancers"

Bitter apricot ethanolic extract induces apoptosis through increasing expression of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 in PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32026321/
These findings suggest that BAEE functions as a potent pro-apoptotic factor for human pancreatic cancer cells without a significant effect on normal human cells.

Prunus Armeniaca L. Seed Extract and Its Amygdalin Containing Fraction Induced Mitochondrial-Mediated Apoptosis and Autophagy in Liver Carcinogenesis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32510292/
Conclusion: This study provides evidence that, in DMBA-induced hepatocarcinogenesis, the key proteins involved in the proliferation, angiogenesis, autophagy, and apoptosis are feasible molecular targets for hepatotherapeutic potential using AE and ACF.