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Apricot kernels Apricot stones (kernels are inside) An apricot kernel is the apricot seed located within the fruit endocarp, which forms a hard shell around the seed called the pyrena (stone or pit). [1] [2] The kernel contains amygdalin, a poisonous compound, in concentrations that vary between cultivars.
Amygdalin (from Ancient Greek: ἀμυγδαλή amygdalē 'almond') is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in many plants, most notably in the seeds (kernels, pips or stones) of apricots, bitter almonds, apples, peaches, cherries and plums, and in the roots of manioc.
Apricot kernels (seeds) contain amygdalin, a poisonous compound. On average, bitter apricot kernels contain about 5% amygdalin and sweet kernels about 0.9% amygdalin. These values correspond to 0.3% and 0.05% of cyanide. Since a typical apricot kernel weighs 600 mg, bitter and sweet varieties contain, respectively, 1.8 and 0.3 mg of cyanide. [28]
The attractive seeds (usually about the size of a ladybug, glossy red with one black dot) contain abrin, an extremely toxic ribosome-inactivating protein related to ricin. [citation needed] Symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, convulsions, liver failure, and death, usually after several days. Ingesting a single seed can kill an adult ...
Unless you're chugging canola oil, you don't need to concern yourself with it. "Overall, fats [like seed oils] are necessary for health, and also help with both satiety and flavor," Langer says.
Other potential routes of exposure include workplaces involved in metal polishing, certain insecticides, the medication sodium nitroprusside, and certain seeds such as those of apples and apricots. [3] [7] [8] Liquid forms of cyanide can be absorbed through the skin. [9]
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Another myth associated with the Hunza people is that because their diet is alleged to be high in apricot seeds they are free from disease. This has proven to be untrue as medical scientists have found that the Hunzas suffer from a variety of disease including cancer. [1] [6]