Laetrile is a man-made version of amygdalin named \u201cvitamin B17.\u201d It was widely used as an alternative anticancer drug in the \u201870s. Although proven ineffective and even toxic, its use is still legal. If you want to make informed decisions, read below to uncover the shocking story behind this fraudulent anticancer remedy.<\/p>\n
Laetrile<\/b> is a purported anticancer drug developed in the early 1950s and patented in 1961 by Dr. Ernst T. Krebs and his son Ernst T. Krebs Jr. The compound is derived from amygdalin<\/b>, the substance that gives bitter almonds their taste. They named it \u201cvitamin B17,\u201d although it is not a vitamin at all [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n A popular alternative anticancer therapy in the 70s, its unproven benefits, potential toxicity, and ban by the FDA caused its use to dramatically fall. Although still used as part of \u201cholistic\u201d regimens in a few alternative clinics (mainly in Mexico), Laetrile has been largely abandoned or replaced by apricot seeds<\/b> as a source of amygdalin [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n A lot of confusion was created – among fraudulent claims, media portrayal, and scientific research – around the terms amygdalin, Laetrile, and \u201cvitamin B17.\u201d Even today, most people are not sure if these substances are all one the same thing or if they\u2019re different in some way.<\/p>\n Here is what you need to know to start with…<\/p>\n Amygdalin <\/b>is a natural substance found in the seeds of several stone fruits of the Rosaceae<\/i> family, such as apricots, peaches, almonds, plums, and apples. It is made up of two sugar molecules bound to a compound (mandelonitrile) that releases cyanide when broken down [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Laetrile <\/b>is a man-made version of amygdalin (mandelonitrile is bound to a sugar derivative called glucuronic acid). However, the product made in Mexico and often sold under the names \u201cLaetrile\u201d and \u201cvitamin B17\u201d is actually amygdalin obtained from crushed apricot seeds [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Vitamin B17 <\/b>is the new name that the Krebs gave to Laetrile after suggesting that all cancers are caused by a deficit in this \u201cvitamin\u201d. This name fulfilled several purposes [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n However, Laetrile doesn\u2019t fit the scientific definition of vitamin<\/b> – a substance that is essential to sustain health without supplying energy or building blocks for cells [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Notably, the Krebs had previously patented another \u201cvitamin\u201d (\u201cB15\u201d or pangamic acid) and promoted it as a remedy for asthma, eczema, arthritis, and cancer. But as it turns out, not only was pangamic acid not curing any diseases, it was more likely causing<\/i> cancer [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Amygdalin was first isolated from bitter almonds in 1830. According to reports, its anticancer effects were tested in Russia and Germany in the 19th century, and it was further researched during the early 20th century [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n In the 1920s, the Californian doctor Ernst T. Krebs \u201crediscovered\u201d amygdalin while trying to develop a flavoring for bourbon. After noting that amygdalin reduced tumor growth in rats, Krebs started using it in people with cancer. However, he abandoned the remedy because it was too toxic and its effectiveness was unpredictable [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Over 20 years later, his son Ernst T. Krebs Jr, often referred to as \u201cdoctor\u201d but not holding a doctoral degree, developed and patented a man-made, purportedly less toxic analog of amygdalin and named it \u201cLaetrile<\/b>\u201d (short for \u201claevorotatory mandelonitrile\u201d) [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Laetrile owes much of its acquired popularity to Andrew R.L. McNaughton, a Canadian adventurer who started promoting Laetrile after meeting Krebs Jr. McNaughton founded a company to manufacture and distribute the compound [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n As a result of McNaughton\u2019s promotion, the journalist Glenn Kittler wrote two articles and a book on the benefits of Laetrile and the doctor Ernesto Contreras opened the first Laetrile clinic in Mexico [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n The case of John Richardson, a doctor who was charged for violating California\u2019s Cancer Law by prescribing this compound, triggered the formation of the Committee for Freedom of Choice in Medicine, the first pro-Laetrile organization. Laetrile use spread outside Mexico and California as a result and 70k people had used it by 1978 [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n The Supreme Court\u2019s decision to forbid its shipping across borders, the negative results in clinical studies, and unfavorable publicity such as the death of actor Steve McQueen while on Laetrile therapy caused its popularity to fall dramatically [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n However, \u201cvitamin B17\u201d still makes its way onto natural health blogs, where its proponents complain about a conspiracy against this remedy. The ongoing petition by Dr. Joseph Mercola to acknowledge his studies with Laetrile and the publishing of the book \u201cWorld without cancer. The story of vitamin B17\u201d keep the myth alive.<\/p>\nAmygdalin vs Laetrile vs Vitamin B17<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Early History<\/span><\/h3>\n
The Rise and Fall of a Cancer Quack<\/span><\/h3>\n
Snapshot<\/span><\/h3>\n
Proponents<\/h4>\n
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Skeptics<\/h4>\n
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