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David L Do
#1 / 16
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 Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores? Dear sci.med and other readers, I have heard it said that apple seed contain a poisonous substance, such as (?) cyanide, and are thus poisonous to eat. Of course, the rest of the apple is fine. Which poison, if any, is in apple seeds, and how much is there of it?
How much would one need to eat over what period of time before this
became a danger?
the newsgroups.
I can send a collated list of responses to individuals or to the
newsgroups.
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| Sun, 17 Aug 1997 09:13:34 GMT |
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Ted O'Nei
#2 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores?
Quote: (lubin,jamie i) writes:
>> Dear sci.med and other readers, >> I have heard it said that apple seed contain a poisonous >>substance, such as (?) cyanide, and are thus poisonous to eat. >>Of course, the rest of the apple is fine. >>Which poison, if any, is in apple seeds, and how much is there of it?
>>How much would one need to eat over what period of time before this
>>became a danger?
>I'd be interested in the response too since I've had a few seeds daily
>for several years.
Well, I think you got the right answer all by yourself: cyanide. However the amount is very small and nothing to worry about. I read recently that you'd have to eat, like, 100 apples a day (or something) to experience any harm. Same with apricot pits, etc. Conclusion: fruits and vegetables are still good for you! :) --
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| Tue, 19 Aug 1997 03:29:50 GMT |
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Norman Bro
#3 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores?
Quote: (lubin,jamie i) writes:
>> Dear sci.med and other readers,
>> I have heard it said that apple seed contain a poisonous
>>substance, such as (?) cyanide, and are thus poisonous to eat.
>>Of course, the rest of the apple is fine.
>>Which poison, if any, is in apple seeds, and how much is there of it?
>>How much would one need to eat over what period of time before this
>>became a danger?
>I'd be interested in the response too since I've had a few seeds daily
>for several years.
And all those monkeys/apes at the zoo chow down a lot of seeds during their lifetime ... as I have for 20-some years now ... still kicking and showing no signs of being poisoned. Norman
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| Tue, 19 Aug 1997 23:07:36 GMT |
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Daniel Nort
#4 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores?
: > Dear sci.med and other readers, : > I have heard it said that apple seed contain a poisonous : >substance, such as (?) cyanide, and are thus poisonous to eat. : >Of course, the rest of the apple is fine. : > : >Which poison, if any, is in apple seeds, and how much is there of it? : >How much would one need to eat over what period of time before this : >became a danger? I believe it is cyanide. But the amounts are pretty small. I think the
LD50 for KCN is 8 mg/kg. But, it's been a long time since I looked up
that figure. Anyone have a toxicology source?
: I'd be interested in the response too since I've had a few seeds daily
: for several years.
: --
: Jamie Lubin Standard disclaimers apply
===========================================================================
= If you truly love something, set it free. =
= If it comes back to you, it is yours forever =
= If it doesn't, hunt it down and kill it. =
===========================================================================
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| Tue, 19 Aug 1997 01:26:26 GMT |
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Don Smit
#5 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores? I think someone got their fruit confused, I believe that the incident
that got this whole thread started was the one involving Laetrile. This
was a failed attempt at a new anti-cancer drug. Laetrile was also
referred to as vitamin B-17 or amygdalin. It is found in APRICOT pits.
The premise for it's use was that it could be broken down by beta
glucosidase releasing cyanide in the process. This enzyme was (is ?)
present in greater quantities in tumor cells than in normal tissues so it
should preferentially destroy tumors. It proved to be ineffective in
practice. I have heard that there are recorded cases (usually involving
children) where poisoning has resulted from ingestion of apricot pits.
I'm not sure whether or not the same compound is found in apple seeds
(although it wouldn't be surprising) but I imagine it would be present in
much lower amounts if it's there at all.
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| Tue, 19 Aug 1997 08:52:47 GMT |
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Jack J. Chall
#6 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores? Almost all seeds contain Laetrile, especially stone type like apricots, peaches, almonds. The seeds don't contain laetrile. The seeds contain a minute cyanide
compound. Laetrile is something else.
Anyone know who originally isolated laetrile and promoted it for cancer?
Answer: Ernest Krebs, as the Krebs Citric Acid Cycle. Interesting huh? He
said that the cyanide in laetrile was not released unless it was processed
by an anaerobic cell, like most cancers. Neat idea, but it doesn't seem to
do much for cancers, I don't think the cure for cancer is going to be a
better poison.
Hans, you're VERY WRONG. The Kreb's cycle was name after Sir Hans Krebs
(1900-1981). The Kreb of Laetrile lore is a different person named Ernst
Krebs Jr. I can't believe you mixed these people up!
Jack
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| Thu, 21 Aug 1997 07:07:04 GMT |
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HCons
#7 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores? Almost all seeds contain Laetrile, especially stone type like apricots, peaches, almonds. Anyone know who originally isolated laetrile and promoted it for cancer?
Answer: Ernest Krebs, as the Krebs Citric Acid Cycle. Interesting huh? He
said that the cyanide in laetrile was not released unless it was processed
by an anaerobic cell, like most cancers. Neat idea, but it doesn't seem to
do much for cancers, I don't think the cure for cancer is going to be a
better poison.
Adios,
Hans.
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| Thu, 21 Aug 1997 03:46:45 GMT |
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Jack J. Chall
#8 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores? <<Your concern should be for the pesticides which are on the surface of the apple, and in many cases the fungicide trapped under the wax coating.>> There was a thread along this line a while back. Pesticides are oil soluble
and permeate the entire fruit or vegetable. You can't wash them off, except
for part of the last spray...and then you need something other than simple
tap water, since oils do not dissolve in H2O.
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| Fri, 22 Aug 1997 23:42:46 GMT |
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Al Cz
#9 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores?
Quote:
> Dear sci.med and other readers,
> I have heard it said that apple seed contain a poisonous
> substance, such as (?) cyanide, and are thus poisonous to eat.
> Of course, the rest of the apple is fine.
David, don't worry about the seeds and core. Your concern should be for the pesticides which are on the surface of the apple, and in many cases the fungicide trapped under the wax coating. --
O for that moment to be now
Or better yet be recent past
And we sit as children on the beach
Laughing at how long it took to pass Czap
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| Fri, 22 Aug 1997 07:15:14 GMT |
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Jennifer A Guilbeau
#10 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores? i think an important thing to keep in mind here is whether you are
swallowing the seeds whole or actually chewing them (they are very bitter
inside). if you are swallowing the seeds whole, you have no worries - the
seed coating is such that it will pass through your digestive tract
intact. (this is according to my biology prof and i tend to believe him)
and even if you are chewing the seed, i think it would take an
awful lot of seeds to reach a level of cyanide that would be harmful to
you. (you'd probably have to eat -just- apple seeds all day).
jennifer
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| Sat, 23 Aug 1997 04:48:57 GMT |
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Jean Dar
#11 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores?
Quote: Poser) writes: >Low doses of cyanide are not cumulative. Just don't try eating a whole
>bucket of cherry pits at once. People have died from such stunts.
>--Tom Hunter
I recall reading, some years ago, a news report about a man who had saved up a mere cupful of apple seeds, ate them all at once, and died. Jean
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| Sat, 23 Aug 1997 20:57:27 GMT |
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Yvonne M. Pos
#12 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores? Low doses of cyanide are not cumulative. Just don't try eating a whole bucket of cherry pits at once. People have died from such stunts. --Tom Hunter
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| Sat, 23 Aug 1997 10:00:46 GMT |
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Jack J. Chall
#13 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores? <<I recall reading, some years ago, a news report about a man who had saved up a mere cupful of apple seeds, ate them all at once, and died.>> The rest of the story, of course, is that his family is suing the late Johnny
Appleseed and his family. :-)
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| Sun, 24 Aug 1997 05:05:45 GMT |
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Robert K. Cann
#14 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores?
Quote:
>(lubin,jamie i) writes:
>>> Dear sci.med and other readers,
>>> I have heard it said that apple seed contain a poisonous
>>>substance, such as (?) cyanide, and are thus poisonous to eat.
>>>Of course, the rest of the apple is fine.
>>>Which poison, if any, is in apple seeds, and how much is there of it?
>>>How much would one need to eat over what period of time before this
>>>became a danger?
>>I'd be interested in the response too since I've had a few seeds daily
>>for several years.
>And all those monkeys/apes at the zoo chow down a lot of seeds during
>their lifetime ... as I have for 20-some years now ... still kicking and
>showing no signs of being poisoned.
>Norman
Amagdalyn(?) aka laetrille has cyanide bound to it but the only onee I've heard of dying from it was when they ground up lots of apricot pits, mixed it with fruit juice and ? , left it overnight in the fridge, next morning had it and voila- cyanide poisening. BC
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| Wed, 27 Aug 1997 02:21:11 GMT |
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John O'Bri
#15 / 16
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Dangers of eating apple seeds and apple cores?
: and even if you are chewing the seed, i think it would take an
: awful lot of seeds to reach a level of cyanide that would be harmful to
: you. (you'd probably have to eat -just- apple seeds all day).
She speaks the truth; They do contain cyanide but it would take a lot to
get you sick.
As for cores; No problem as far as I know. They contain pectin and I
eat them.
John
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| Thu, 28 Aug 1997 09:55:00 GMT |
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