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Laetrile/Amygdalin (PDQ®)
Last Modified:
05/19/2006
Overview
Questions and Answers About Laetrile/Amygdalin
Changes To This Summary (05/19/2006)
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Overview
Laetrile
is a
compound
that contains a chemical called amygdalin. Amygdalin is found in the pits of many fruits, raw nuts, and plants (see
Question 1
).
It is believed that the active anticancer ingredient in laetrile is cyanide (see
Question 1
).
Laetrile is given by mouth as a pill or by
intravenous injection
(see
Question 4
).
Laetrile has shown little anticancer effect in laboratory studies, animal studies, or human studies (see
Question 5
and
Question 6
).
The
side effects
of laetrile are like the
symptoms
of cyanide poisoning (see
Question 7
).
Laetrile is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (see
Question 8
).
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