| Plant biochemists have pulled their hair out over the | | | | action of laetrile. It goes like this: |
| widespread misuse of the term laetrile. (Okay, that's | | | | Enzymes in tumors cleave the glucuronic acid group |
| my story for my own male pattern baldness, and I | | | | off of the intact laetrile molecule. The remaining parts |
| am sticking with it!) The main issue is the mix up | | | | then disintegrate spontaneously into two pieces: a |
| between a natural product and what we chemists call | | | | molecule of cyanide and a molecule of benzaldehyde. |
| a semisynthetic one. | | | | Supposedly, once the cyanide molecule is released |
| Amygdalin - The Real Natural Product | | | | inside the tumor, it goes about killing the cancer cells. |
| Apricot pits and many other kinds of seeds contain a | | | | Amygdalin breaks apart the same way, after |
| natural product that is called amygdalin, which is often | | | | enzymes in the tumor cleave off the glucose side |
| used synonymously with laetrile. They are not the | | | | chain. According to this behavior, amygdalin should |
| same. | | | | have the same mechanism of action against cancer |
| Amygdalin consists of the following parts: a benzene | | | | as laetrile does. |
| ring, a nitrile (cyano) group, and two molecules of | | | | Enough Chemistry - What is the Bottom Line for |
| glucose together in a side chain. Although these parts | | | | Treating Cancer? |
| can be put together in several ways, only one | | | | Since laetrile is chemically modified from amyglalin, it |
| particular combination is called amygdalin. Chemist are | | | | may occur as a 50-50 mixture of active and inactive |
| very picky that way. | | | | forms. For this reason, a stable concentration of |
| Laetrile - The Semisynthetic Product | | | | amygdalin should provide the best chance for full |
| Laetrile consists of the following parts: a benzene | | | | anticancer activity. |
| ring, a nitrile (cyano) group, and one molecule of | | | | The key word here is stable. If you have a product |
| glucuronic acid as a side group. The question about | | | | that is supposed to be vitamin B-17, or amygdalin, or |
| what this molecule is can be resolved by simply | | | | laetrile, it may be giving off an odor of cyanide (like |
| knowing the origin of the word laetrile. It comes from | | | | the odor of bitter almonds or of ground up apple |
| the detailed name of the molecule, which is | | | | seeds). The stronger the odor, the more of the |
| laevomandelonitrile. | | | | active ingredient it has lost. |
| Why Is This Important? | | | | Are Laetrile/Amygdalin Valuable a Cancer Treatment? |
| The body of research on laetrile as a natural cancer | | | | More than 80 years of research, from several labs |
| cure is littered with confusion about which molecule | | | | and clinics around the world, shows strong support |
| was used in any one patient group or lab animal | | | | for a positive answer to this question. Another |
| experiment. To make matters worse, early | | | | indication is that this treatment, especially in |
| researchers campaigned to get amygdalin or laetrile - | | | | combination with other treatments, became so good |
| it is not clear which - approved as a vitamin, B-17. | | | | that it was made illegal and chased out of the U.S. |
| Vitamin B-17 is now available commercially, although it | | | | The closest laetrile/amygdalin-based treatment clinics |
| is almost certainly amygdalin most of the time. | | | | have been in Mexican border towns, especially in |
| Company representatives do not generally know | | | | Tijuana. Unfortunately, legal problems arising because |
| enough about the subject to provide clarity on their | | | | of certain sections of the North American Free Trade |
| own vitamin B-17 products. | | | | Agreement (NAFTA) have led to closures of some |
| Do Laetrile and Amygdalin Have the Same Anticancer | | | | of these cancer clinics. |
| Activity? | | | | Natural cancer cures are still as good as they always |
| That is the key question. It can only be answered | | | | have been. It is just that getting access to them has |
| theoretically, based on the supposed mechanism of | | | | become more of a challenge in recent years. |