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# Amygdalin fights triple negative breast cancer
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/amygdalin_fights_triple_negative_breast_cancer_0814160824/
- Published: 2016-08-14T09:18:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T15:51:36.000Z
- Description: A study finds amygdalin, from apricot, peach, apple, cherry and plum seeds, promotes apoptosis and inhibits adhesion in triple negative breast cancer cells, suggesting it may also limit spread. The authors say clinical trials are needed; a 1982 NCI-sponsored trial found it ineffective.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Cancer, Avoiding Illness, #vivvo-import

Sunday Aug 14, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- Amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside found in rosaceous plant seeds like apricot, peach, apple, cherry, and plum may be enlisted to treat triple negative breast cancer, a new [study ](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4703354/?ref=foodconsumer.org)suggests. 

The study finds amygdalin promotes apoptosis and inhibits adhesion of triple negative breast cancer cells. This suggests the compound can not only kill the primary cancer cells, but also prevent cancer progression and metastasis as cell adhesion plays an important role in cancer progression and metastasis.

Previous in vitro studies revealed that this compound is also effective against many other types of cancer cells including [promyelocytic leukemia](http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02976663?ref=foodconsumer.org), [bladder cancer](http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0105590&ref=foodconsumer.org), [prostate cancer](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/29/8/29%5F8%5F1597/%5Farticle?ref=foodconsumer.org), [colon cancer](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4320388/?ref=foodconsumer.org), [cervical cancer](http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/08923973.2012.738688?ref=foodconsumer.org), and [non-small cell lung cancer](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4503109/?ref=foodconsumer.org). 

At this time, there is no effective treatment for triple negative breast cancer and the disease has a poor prognosis, according to the authors of the study. The current study indicates that amygdalin can be an effective chemo preventative or therapy for the disease. But clinical trials are needed to confirm the efficacy in vivo. 

A clinical trial was carried out early by other researchers to see if amygdalin could help advanced cancer and the results of the [study ](http://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJM198201283060403?ref=foodconsumer.org)reported in 1982 indicate that amygdalin did not show efficacy in treating various cancers. The trial was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.

Amygdalin-containing seeds like bitter apricot kernels have been used as a traditional Chinese medicine to treat cough and cancers and other illnesses. Many cancer patients use bitter apricot kernels or pure amygdalin and other alternative treatments to treat their diseases and some reported good efficacy.

Philip E. Binzel, a physician that treated hundreds of various cancer cases, claimed in his book [*Alive and Well*](http://whale.to/m/binzel.html?ref=foodconsumer.org) that Laetrile (a synthetic form of Amygdalin) is very effective in treating advanced cancers. He reported that the efficacy of his treatment was "*287% better than those reported by the American Cancer Society for the treatment of metastatic cancer by "orthodox" methods alone."*

It should be noted that many patients who used Laetrile also adopted a dietary and or supplementation protocol. Dr. Binzel noted that vitamin supplementation and a healthy diet are also important.

(Be careful when vitamin C is taken along with Laetril or amgdalin partciularly in high doses. A [case report](http://aop.sagepub.com/content/39/9/1566.short?ref=foodconsumer.org) says that a cancer patient took 3 grams of amygdalin and also 4 grams of vitamin C and as a result, suffered severe accidental cyanide poisoning. The author says that vitamin C increases the in vitro conversion of amygdalin to cyanide and reduces body stores of cysteine, which otherwise helps detoxify cyanide. The author also says that "Amygdalin has been used for decades by patients with cancer who are seeking alternative therapies, and severe reactions have not been reported with this dose. An interaction with vitamin C is a plausible explanation for this life-threatening response.")

In addition to the anticancer activity, amygdalin has been known to possess anti-tussive, anti-asthmatic, anti-antherogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer and anti-fibrosis properties. (David Liu)

*Hye Min Lee and Aree Moon, Amygdalin Regulates Apoptosis and Adhesion in Hs578T Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells, Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2016 Jan; 24(1): 62–66\. Published online 2016 Jan 1.*