Treatment of cancer has become a challenge for contemporary medicine. The doctor owns a powerful weapon – scientifically tested methods of proven clinical efficiency (tumor resection, irradiation, chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, etc.). In most cases, when changes are detected too late (in advanced stage), the conventional therapy is not as effective as it is expected. A patient who suffers from cancer with bad prognosis (only a few months of life) falls into despair and in spite of costs tries to find a solution that will give him/her (in theory) a chance of recovery. One of the above mentioned is amygdalin, Vitamin B17. On the Internet it was called a ‘panacea for cancer’.

According to proponents of the amygdalin use, people die of cancer because of an improper diet (lack of substance contained in the seeds which were eaten by our ancestors). In natural form amygdalin is an ingredient of almond’s seed giving it a distinctive, bitter taste. It is available for purchase in health food stores as “extract of apricot kernels”. There was also synthesized and produced preparation (called Leatrille) which contains a synthetic derivative of amygdalin – nitrile of mandelic acid glucuronide (it has been banned by the FDA – Food and Drug Administration).

Amygdalin is a cyanogenic glycoside which is enzymatically decomposed to benzaldehyde, hydrocyanic acid and sugar residues. According to Ernst T. Krebs release of cyanides should occur mostly in cancer cells (which theoretically contains the enzyme -beta-glycosidase). Modern research has shown that the level of this enzyme in cancer cells is low and most of the amygdalin’s amount is decomposed in the stomach in the acidic environment of hydrochloric acid. Amygdalin and its derivatives are not well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, so the chance of reaching the source of the disease is minimal. The synthetized hydrogen cyanide is absorbed into the bloodstream and the liver detoxifies it into rhodanide. The process of transformation is performed by the enzyme called thiosulfate: cyanidesulfurtransferase which needs the presence of sulfur amino acids.Their deficiency affects process of detoxification and symptoms of cyanide poisoning occur.

The conclusion is pretty clear – Amygdalin instead of help can cause severe, life-threatening poisoning.

The situation is complicated especially in the case of derivatives and preparations as Leatrille. Some researches (for example, report: Concise International Chemical Assessment Document 61, Hydrogen cyanide and cyanides: human health aspects) showed that almost all the synthetic cyanogenic glycosides may contain much higher amounts of cyanide than the original substance. There is a described case where a combination of vitamin C and amygdalin ended tragically – the patient who had been taking large doses of ascorbic acid and simultaneously amygdalin died. The combination resulted in impaired detoxification of cyanides. The next stage was a cascade of respiratory acidosis, convulsions and respiratory arrest.

Currently,Leatrille preparation is prohibited by the FDA and there is no scientific institution which recommends its use in the treatment of patients with cancer. It is the fact that none of the studies showed significant clinical efficacy of taking amygdalin, but attention should be paid to its potential toxicity.

Do not be too optimistic to the revelations that are not scientifically proven because they can bring more harm than good. Conventional oncological therapy will be the basis for cancer treatment for a long period of time.

Written by: Mateusz Spałek

Source:
1. Bromley J, Hughes BG, Leong DC, Buckley NA.; Life-Threatening Interaction Between Complementary Medicines: Cyanide Toxicity Following Ingestion of Amygdalin and Vitamin C; Ann. Pharmacother. 2005 Sep; 39(9):1566-9
2. http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=34751
3. http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/complementary-alternative/therapies/laetrile
4. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/laetrile/patient/allpages#Section_20
5. Milazzo S, Ernst E, Lejeune S, Boehm K.; Laetrile treatment for cancer.; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD005476.
6. Adewusi SR, Oke OL.; On the metabolism of amygdalin. 2. The distribution of beta glucosidase activity and orally administered amygdalin in rats.; Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 1985 Sep;63(9):1084-7
7. Charles G. Moertel, M.D., Thomas R. Fleming, Ph.D., Joseph Rubin, M.D., Larry K. Kvols, M.D., Gregory Sarna, M.D., Robert Koch, M.D., Violante E. Currie, M.D., Charles W. Young, M.D., Stephen E. Jones, M.D., and J. Paul Davignon, Ph.D.; A Clinical Trial of Amygdalin (Laetrile) in the Treatment of Human Cancer.; N Engl J Med 1982; 306:201-206January 28, 1982

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