foods foods containing b17

7/27/2019 Foods Foods Containing B17

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Foods Containing B17 (Nitrilosides)

Vitamin B17 appears in abundance in untamed nature. Because B17 is bitter to the taste,

in man's attempt to improve tastes and flavors for his own pleasure, he has eliminatedbitter substances like B17 by selection and cross-breeding. It can be stated as a general

rule that many of the foods that have been domesticated still contain the vitamin B17 in

that part not eaten by modem man, such as the seeds in apricots. Listed below is anevaluation of some of the more common foods. Keep in mind that these are averages only

and that specimens vary widely depending on variety, locale, soil, and climate.

Fruits Range*

blackberry, domestic low

blackberry, wild high

boysenberry med.choke cherry high

wild crabapple high

market cranberry low

Swedish (lignon)

cranberryhigh

currant med.

elderberry med. to high

gooseberry. med.

huckleberry med.

loganberry med.

mulberry med.quince med.

raspberry med.

Seeds Range*

apple seeds high

apricot seed high

buckwheat med.

cherry seed high

flax med.

millet med.

nectarine seed high

peach seed high

pear seeds high

plum seed high

prune seed high


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squash seeds med.

Beans Range*

black lowblack-eyed peas low

fava high

garbanzo low to med.

green pea low

kidney low to med.

lentils med.

lima, U.S. low

lima, Burma med.

mung med. to high

shell low

Nuts (all raw) Range*

bitter almond high

cashew low

macadamia med. to high

Sprouts Range*

alfalfa med.

bamboo high

fava med.

garbanzo med.

mung med.

Leaves Range*

alfalfa highbeet tops low

eucalyptus high

spinach low

water cress low


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Tubers Range*

cassava high

sweet potato low

yams low

Range*

High above 500 mgs. nitriloside per 100 grams food

Medium above 100 mgs. per 100 grams food

Low below 100 mgs. per 100 grams food


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Amygdalin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, searchAmygdalin

Amygdalin (from Greek: amygdlalmond), C20H27NO11, is a glycosideinitially isolated from the seeds of the tree Prunus dulcis, also known as bitter almonds,

by Pierre-Jean Robiquet[1] and A. F. Boutron-Charlard in 1803, and subsequently

investigated by Liebig and Whler in 1830, and others. Several other related species in

the genus ofPrunus, including apricot (Prunus armeniaca) and black cherry (Prunus

serotina),[2] also contain amygdalin. It was promoted as a cancer cure by Ernst T. Krebs

under the name "Vitamin B17", but studies have found it to be ineffective.[3][4][5]

Chemistry

Amygdalin is extracted from almond or apricot kernel cake by boiling ethanol; onevaporation of the solution and the addition ofdiethyl ether, amygdalin is precipitated as

white minute crystals. Liebig and Whler were already able to find three decomposition

products of the newly discovered amygdalin: sugar, benzaldehyde, and prussic acid(hydrogen cyanide).[6] Later research showed that sulfuric acid decomposes it into D-

glucose, benzaldehyde, and prussic acid ; while hydrochloric acid gives mandelic acid, D-

glucose, and ammonia.[7]


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The decomposition induced by enzymes may occur in two ways. Maltase partially

decomposes it, giving D-glucose and mandelic nitrile glucoside,C6H5CH(CN)OC6H11O5; this compound is isomeric with sambunigrin, a glucoside found

by E.E. Bourquelot and Danjou in the berries of the Common Elder, Sambucus nigra.

Emulsin, on the other hand, decomposes it into benzaldehyde, cyanide, and two

molecules ofglucose; this enzyme occurs in the bitter almond, and consequently theseeds invariably contain free cyanide and benzaldehyde. An "amorphous amygdalin" is

said to occur in the cherry-laurel. Closely related to these glucosides is dhurrin,C14H17O7N, isolated by W. Dunstan and T. A. Henry from the common sorghum or

"great millet," Sorghum vulgare; this substance is decomposed by emulsin or

hydrochloric acid into D-glucose, cyanide, and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde.[citation needed]

Natural amygdalin has theR configuration at the chiralbenzyl center. Under mild basic

conditions, this stereogenic center epimerizes; the Sepimer is called neoamygdalin.[8]

[Laetrile

Laetrile (CAS No. 1332-94-1)

Amygdalin is sometimes confounded with laevomandelonitrile, also called laetrile forshort; however, amygdalin and laetrile are different chemical compounds.[8] Laetrile,

which was patented in the United States, is a semi-synthetic molecule sharing part of the

amygdalin structure, while the "laetrile" made in Mexico is usually amygdalin, thenatural product obtained from crushed apricot pits, or neoamygdalin.[9]

Though it is sometimes sold as "Vitamin B17", it is not a vitamin. Amygdalin/laetrile wasclaimed to be a vitamin by Ernst T. Krebs in the hope that if classified as a nutritional

supplement it would escape the federal legislation regarding the marketing of drugs. He

could also capitalise on the public fad for vitamins at that time.[10]

Toxicity

Beta-glucosidase, one of the enzymes that catalyzes the release of the cyanide fromamygdalin, is present in human small intestine and in a variety of common foods. This

leads to an unpredictable and potentially lethal toxicity when amygdalin or Laetrile is

taken orally.[10][11][12]

Cancer treatment


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Amygdalin was first isolated in 1830. In 1845 it was used for cancer in Russia, and again

in the 1920s in the United States, but it was considered too poisonous.[13]

In the 1950s areportedly nontoxic, synthetic form was patented for use as a meat preservative,[14] and

later marketed as Laetrile for cancer treatment.[13]

Initial studies at Sloan-Kettering

In 1972, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center board member Benno Schmidtconvinced the hospital to test laetrile so that he could assure others of its ineffectiveness

"with some conviction."[15]

However, the scientist in charge of the testing, Kanematsu

Sugiura, found that laetrile inhibited the secondary tumors in mice, though it did notdestroy the primary tumors. He repeated the experiment several times with the same

results. However, three other researchers were unable to confirm Sugiura's results. While

these uncontrolled results were considered too preliminary to publish, they were leaked tolaetrile advocates, resulting in significant public attention.[15]

To expand on Sugiura's results, Sloan-Kettering researchers conducted a controlledexperiment in which they injected some mice with laetrile (as Sugiura had done) and

others with placebo. Sugiura, who was unaware of which mice had received laetrile,

performed the pathologic analysis. In this controlled, blinded follow-up of Sugiura's

initial uncontrolled experiment, laetrile showed no more activity than placebo.[15]

Subsequently, laetrile was tested on 14 tumor systems without evidence of effectiveness.Given this collection of results, Sloan-Kettering concluded that "laetrile showed no

beneficial effects."[15] Mistakes in the Sloan-Kettering press release were highlighted by a

group of laetrile proponents led by Ralph Moss, former public affairs official of Sloan-

Kettering hospital, who was fired when he announced his membership in the group.

These mistakes were considered scientifically inconsequential, but Nicholas Wade inScience noted that "even the appearance of a departure from strict objectivity is

unfortunate."[15]

The results from these studies were published all together.[16]

Subsequent clinical studies and advocacy

In 1974, the American Cancer Society officially labelled laetrile as quackery, but

advocates for laetrile dispute this label, asserting that financial motivations have tainted

the published research.[17]

Some North American cancer patients have travelled toMexico for treatment with the substance, allegedly under the auspices of Dr. Ernesto

Contreras.[18] One of these patients was actor Steve McQueen, who died in Mexico

following surgery to remove a stomach tumour while undergoing treatment formesothelioma.

[19]Laetrile advocates within the United States include Dean Burk

Ph.D.,[20] a former chief chemist of the National Cancer Institute's cytochemistry

laboratory[21]

and national arm wrestling champion Jason Vale, who claimed that his

kidney and pancreatic cancers were cured by eating apricot seeds. Vale was convicted in2003 for, among other things, marketing laetrile.[22] The US Food and Drug

Administration continues to seek jail sentences for vendors selling laetrile for cancer


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treatment, calling it a "highly toxic product that has not shown any effect on treating

cancer."[23]

A 2006 systematic review by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded: "The claim thatLaetrile has beneficial effects for cancer patients is not supported by data from controlled

clinical trials. This systematic review has clearly identified the need for randomised orcontrolled clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of Laetrile or amygdalin for cancertreatment."[24] Given the lack of evidence, laetrile has not been approved by the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration.[9] The U.S. National Institutes of Health evaluated the

evidence separately and concluded that clinical trials of amgydalin showed little or no

effect against cancer.[13]

For example, a 1982 trial of 178 patients found that tumor sizehad increased in all patients. Minimal side effects were seen except in two patients who

consumed bitter almonds and suffered from cyanide poisoning.[5]

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