Sources of Laetrile

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), laetrile, sometimes referred to as amygdalin, is a natural compound used worldwide in the treatment of cancer. The United States-patented version of laetrile is partly synthetic and is different from the laetrile produced in Mexico; they come from different sources and should not be confused with each other. The drug is also referred to as B17, sarcarcinase and nitriloside. The main cancer ingredient in laetrile is cyanide.

Sources

• The word "laetrile" is used to describe the purified form of the chemical amygdalin. Amygdalin is a plant compound found in the pits of raw nuts, many fruits, sorghum, clover and beans. This plant compound contains sugar and produces cyanide; cyanide is believed to be the active cancer-killing ingredient in laetrile. The laetrile/amygdalin made in Mexico is made from crushed apricot pits; the patented U.S. version is a partly synthetic, man-made form of amygdalin.

History

• According to the NCI, amygdalin was isolated in 1830. In 1845, it was used in Russia as an anti-cancer agent. Its use was recorded in the United States in the 1920s, but the pill form was found to be too toxic. In the 1950s, the reportedly non-toxic, partly synthetic form of amygdalin was patented as "laetrile." In the 1970s, it gained in popularity as a single anti-cancer agent in conjunction with a metabolic therapy program.

Side Effects

• The NCI reports that side effects can be less severe when laetrile is given by injection rather than taken orally. Side effects include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, a lack of oxygen, low blood pressure, fever and mental confusion. More serious side effects include liver damage, coma and death. Side effects can be increased by eating crushed fruit pits, raw almonds, certain fruits and vegetables and high doses of Vitamin C.

Theories

• According to the Medical Center at the University of California in San Diego, there are two theories as to how laetrile treats cancer. The "vitamin deficiency theory" claims that cancer is the result of the missing Vitamin B17 that laetrile provides. The "cyanide release theory" claims that the enzyme beta-glucosidase exists in large quantities in cancerous tissues, causing the release of the hydrogen cyanide from laetrile. Cyanide then selectively kills the cancerous tissue and stops tumor respiration.

Therapies

• The use of laetrile is part of complementary and alternative therapies for cancer and is used in the place of conventional therapies. As part of a larger treatment plan, laetrile is usually administered intravenously over a two-to-three week period, it is then followed up by oral maintenance doses. As of 1978, more than 70,000 people in the United States have been treated with this therapy.

Warning

• Before replacing standard cancer therapy with laetrile therapy, it is advisable to speak with a qualified physician. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved laetrile as a treatment for cancer. However, the drug is made in Mexico and widely distributed as a cancer treatment.