Risks of Vitamin B17

Vitamin B-17 drew worldwide attention when it was touted as a miracle cancer treatment, despite its risks of serious side effects. Amygdalin, its technical name, isn't a vitamin at all; rather, it's a chemical compound that the body metabolizes as cyanide. A 1982 study by Dr. Charles Moertel of the Mayo Clinic declared vitamin B17 "a toxic drug that isn't effective as a cancer treatment." The risks of vitamin B-17 are similar to those of cyanide poisoning.

Vomiting

• Vitamin B-17 tends to cause vomiting. This because the body recognizes vitamin B-17 as a toxin that could cause irreparable damage to vital organs.

Hypotension

• When the body metabolizes vitamin B-7, a chemical compound called thiocyanate is released. Thiocyanate can depress the circulatory system, which may result in hypotension or low blood pressure. This risk is especially dangerous to those taking medication for high blood pressure, such as beta blockers.

Seizures

• Vitamin B-17 increases the risk of seizures because it depletes the oxygen from hemoglobin molecules. Found in red blood cells, hemoglobin is the protein molecule responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. A deficiency of oxygen can trigger abnormal electrical impulses in the brain, causing a seizure.

Peripheral Neuropathy

• Vitamin B-17 can increase the risk of peripheral neuropathy, damage to the nerves in the peripheral nervous system, which consists of the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord and connect the central nervous system to the body's extremities. However, once the body is rid of vitamin B17, peripheral neuropathy usually can be reversed.

Coma

• It is illegal to market vitamin B-17 as a cancer treatment.

  Vitamin B-7 depletion of oxygen from cells in the brain can bring on a coma. But if prompt medical attention is received, the patient may make a full recovery.