An alternative treatment for cancer, Vitamin B17, otherwise known as Laetrile, is a controversial cancer treatment. Laetrile is very difficult to get from physicians because the Food and Drug Administration does not approve of its use for cancer treatment. There are several risks associated the use of vitamin B17.
Low Blood Pressure
Using vitamin B17 could cause low blood pressure in some patients. While low blood pressure is not necessarily a bad thing, if you already have low blood pressure or are on medication to lower your blood pressure, using vitamin B17 can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
Foods such as apricot pits, fruits and apple seeds contain vitamin B17. While it is naturally occurring, so is the cyanide it contains. Some of the side effects from ingesting vitamin B17 are symptoms associated with cyanide poisoning such as nausea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness.
Lack of Evidence
The main risk of using vitamin B17 as an anti cancer treatment is that there in no concrete evidence to date that it is an effective treatment. A study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, did not find and any anti cancer effect, but did find a measurable and significant level of cyanide in some study participants.
Mainstream cancer treatment centers do not recommend vitamin B17 as a cancer treatment. There are alternative treatment centers that feel very strongly about the effectiveness of eating high levels of vitamin B17 foods to treat cancer. The decision is yours, but it is important to look at all the possibilities and be aware of the risks.