Vitamin B17: Able to Treat and Prevent Cancer, or Pure Poison?

Anthony Gucciardi
Natural Society

So, you’ve heard of B6, B12, and even B-complex vitamins, but likely not vitamin B17. This powerful vitamin substance shown to halt cancer has also been called poison. So which is it: a natural treatment, or ‘quackery’?

Vitamin B17 is patented in the U.S. as Laetrile, but used in Mexico simply as crushed apricot pits, without boiling the seeds and turning them to ethanol, which then produces benzaldehyde. You can also find the tampered-with version as laevomandelonitrile, the man-made version of  B17, and amygdalin, the natural version of B17.

According to the National Cancer Society, Laetrile is staggeringly lethal, and even makes cancer tumors grow larger. The US government has made B17 downright illegal, so why are many naturalists saying apricot seeds, which are naturally full of vitamin B17, are extremely effective at curing cancer? And how can something be toxic, if it naturally occurs in dozens of other foods like soybeans, mung bean sprouts, hundreds of vegetables, wild-berries, Oregon grapes, and cassava, a tropical sweet potato?

Further commentary from the Mayo clinic suggests that B17 poses toxicity risks due to ‘significant levels of cyanide in the blood of patients.” They also claimed that there was no scientific basis for Vitamin B17 to treat cancer. So what’s the story? Are we to trust large hospitals or special interest organizations backed by Big Pharma or research like this:

For five years, between 1972 and 1977 laetrile was meticulously tested at Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research in Manhattan under the direction of Dr. Sugiura. At the conclusion of his experiment he reported five results:

• 1. Laetrile stopped metastasis (the spreading of cancer) in mice.

• 2. It improved their general health.

• 3. It inhibited the growth of small tumors.

• 4. It provided relief from pain.

• 5. It acted as a cancer prevention.

The Sloan-Kettering Cover-up

Furthermore, the efficacy of B17 for cancer prevention has been called a down-right cover up:

“Ralph W. Moss gives an excellent overview of the political and scientific controversy that has surrounded laetrile in his book The Cancer Industry. He states, ‘Although spokespersons for orthodox medicine continue to deny that there have been any animal study data in favor of laetrile, this is contradicted by a number of studies, including—but not limited to—those at Sloan-Kettering.’”

Other supporters of B17 who continued the research started by Sloan-Kettering say Vitamin B17 is definitely a cancer-treatment and preventative. Dr. Manuel T. Navarro, and Robert Bradford of the Committee of Freedom of Choice are among them.

Is Vitamin B17 another great natural cancer treatment that the pharmaceutical companies silenced since the C-word is big business, or is it truly a poisonous substance that can kill us and make our cancer worse. With the government’s track record of late, like calling walnuts illegal drugs, it would probably be best for you to do your own research and decide what you believe.

Common Names: Apricot pits, vitamin B17, mandelonitrile-beta-glucuronide (semi-synthetic), mandelonitrile beta-D-gentiobioside (natural product), laevorotatory, mandelonitrile, and prunasin.

Brand Names: Laetrile®, Amigdalina, NovoDalin B17.

Additional Sources:

NaturalNews

Wikipedia.org/Amygdalin