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Prunus armeniaca (kernel, kernel oil)

Apricot kernel (and apricot kernel oil)

Do not eat raw apricot kernels as a remedy: they contain amygdalin, which releases cyanide when digested, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that an adult could exceed the safe single dose with about three small kernels, and a toddler with less than one small kernel. Claims that kernels or "vitamin B17" (laetrile) treat cancer have no support in a Cochrane review, which judged the risk-benefit balance unambiguously negative, and cyanide poisoning is documented in adults and children who took them. The oil pressed from the kernel is sold as a cosmetic carrier oil, but we found no human trial of it for skin or hair.

Updated
30 September 2026
Fresh apricots, one split to show the stone
At a glance
Last reviewed 30 September 2026
Evidence
Traditional
Best for
Traditional skin oil
Typical form & use
Cosmetic oil, applied to skin
Onset
4+ weeks
Safety
Raw kernels can release cyanide; do not eat them. No interactions in our data.
Check with your medications →

What it's used for

Evidence is rated per use. The same ingredient can be strong for one thing and traditional for another.

UseEvidenceWhat the research shows
Cancer (raw kernels, amygdalin, laetrile or "vitamin B17")TraditionalA Cochrane review searched for randomised trials of laetrile or amygdalin in cancer and found none that qualified. It concluded that the claims of benefit are not supported by sound clinical data and that there is a considerable risk of serious cyanide poisoning, especially when swallowed, so the risk-benefit balance is unambiguously negative. Published cases include a comatose 4-year-old with cancer given oral apricot kernels and "vitamin B17" (recovered after sodium thiosulfate) and a 41-year-old woman who became weak and breathless within 20 minutes of eating kernels from a health food store and needed antidote treatment. The rating is 1 because there is no evidence of benefit; this is a use to avoid, not a mild traditional one.3,4,5
Skin (cosmetic oil)TraditionalWe found no human trial of apricot kernel oil on skin. The only pharmacological evidence we found is a 2026 animal study in which oil from bitter kernels reduced paw swelling and pain in rodents and speeded healing of burns in rats, which says nothing yet about people. Its use as a light massage and moisturising oil rests on tradition.7
HairTraditionalWe searched PubMed and found no human study of apricot kernel oil on hair or scalp, so any use is traditional.
Eating kernels as a health food or supplementTraditionalWe found no trial showing a health benefit from eating kernels. EFSA reports that in the literature toxicity has occurred from 20 or more kernels in adults and 5 or more in children, and a chronic user of daily apricot kernel extract for 5 years had cyanide toxicity that was only discovered because it disturbed a pulse oximeter reading under anaesthesia.1,6

How much

Ranges below are what studies used and what supplements commonly contain. They are not a recommendation for you. Start at the low end.

EFSA safe single dose (cyanide)
20 µg cyanide per kg body weight1
EFSA's acute reference dose, set from a study of 12 healthy adults. It is a ceiling, not a recommended amount.
Kernels that reach that dose (adults)
About 3 small kernels (0.37 g)1
Using the highest cyanide level reported in the literature. Less than half of a large kernel could already exceed it, and kernels vary in size and cyanide content.
Kernels that reach that dose (toddlers)
0.06 g, less than one small kernel1
One small kernel already exceeds the dose for a toddler. German (BfR) and Greek (EFET) regulators advise adults to eat no more than 2 kernels a day and EFET advises pregnant and breastfeeding women to avoid them entirely; the EFSA, BfR and EFET positions differ.
Legal limit for raw kernels sold as food (UK)
20 mg/kg hydrocyanic acid2
The Food Standards Agency says raw unprocessed kernels, sweet or bitter, should not be sold for human consumption unless they meet that limit, and that processed kernels used as flavourings have been heat treated to reduce cyanide.
Timing · Cyanide levels in blood peak quickly after eating kernels (per the Greek regulator in the joint document), so the risk is from a single portion and not only from long use. The one case of chronic use was a daily extract for 5 years.With food? · The sources give no food advice for making raw kernels safer. Processed kernels used as flavourings have been heat treated.How long to trial · There is no trial of any dose for a health benefit. For the oil on skin we found no trial, so there is no tested dose or time frame.

How people take it

Raw kernels or kernel extract, eatenNot recommendedBitter and sweet kernels both contain cyanogenic glycosides. The regulators' limits are for acute safety, not a dose with any proven benefit.
Cosmetic apricot kernel oilNot establishedPressed from the kernel and used on skin and hair. We found no human trial and no source on how much cyanide-related material remains in bottled oil.
Laetrile or "vitamin B17" tablets and injectionsNot recommendedCochrane found no evidence for cancer and warned of cyanide poisoning, especially by mouth.

Safety

Who should avoid
  • Eating raw kernels — EFSA: about 3 small kernels reach the safe limit for an adult
  • Children and toddlers — less than one small kernel already exceeds the EFSA limit
  • Cancer treatment with kernels, amygdalin or "vitamin B17" — no evidence, real risk of cyanide poisoning
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding — the Greek regulator (EFET) advises avoiding kernels
  • Swallowing the cosmetic oil — we found no safety data for eating it
Known interactions
No interactions in our data. Absence of a flag is not clearance.

Questions people ask

What are the benefits of apricot kernels?

We found no trial showing any benefit from eating them, and they are a poisoning risk: raw kernels contain amygdalin, which releases cyanide. EFSA calculated that three small kernels reach the safe single dose for an adult, and less than one small kernel for a toddler. Kernels sold as a cancer remedy have no support in the evidence.

How many apricot kernels are safe to eat?

EFSA's safe single dose corresponds to about three small kernels for an adult, but less than half of a large kernel could exceed it, and cyanide content varies. The German and Greek regulators advise adults to eat no more than two a day and children to avoid them, and the UK Food Standards Agency says raw kernels should not be sold unless they meet a limit of 20 mg/kg. Given that there is no proven benefit, the safest number is none.

Do apricot kernels or vitamin B17 cure cancer?

No. A Cochrane review found no trial of laetrile or amygdalin in cancer that met its criteria, judged the claims unsupported by sound clinical data and the risk-benefit balance unambiguously negative because of the risk of cyanide poisoning. Cases of severe poisoning in adults and a child using kernels or "vitamin B17" have been reported. Do not use them instead of or alongside cancer treatment without asking your oncology team.

Is apricot kernel oil good for your skin or hair?

We found no human trial for skin or hair, so we cannot say it helps. It is sold as a light cosmetic carrier oil and is used traditionally. The only experimental data we found are in rats and mice. Patch-test a small area before wider use, and do not swallow it.

Sources

  1. Regulator document EFSA, EFET and BfR. Acute health risks related to consumption of raw apricot kernels and products thereof: Joint EFSA-EFET-BfR document (on the EFSA CONTAM Panel opinion of 1 March 2016). 2016.
  2. Regulator/health agency Food Standards Agency. Plant toxins (cyanide in raw apricot kernels). GOV.UK.
  3. Cochrane review Milazzo S, Horneber M. Laetrile treatment for cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015.
  4. Case report Sauer H, Wollny C, Oster I, et al. Severe cyanide poisoning from an alternative medicine treatment with amygdalin and apricot kernels in a 4-year-old child. Wien Med Wochenschr. 2015.
  5. Case report Suchard JR, Wallace KL, Gerkin RD. Acute cyanide toxicity caused by apricot kernel ingestion. Ann Emerg Med. 1998.
  6. Case report Konstantatos A, Shiv Kumar M, Burrell A, Smith J. An unusual presentation of chronic cyanide toxicity from self-prescribed apricot kernel extract. BMJ Case Rep. 2017.
  7. Animal study El Hajjaji MA, Fikri-Benbrahim K, Solo N, et al. Pharmacological evaluation of bitter apricot kernels oil: Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and wound-healing effects. J Ethnopharmacol. 2026.

Reader notes

Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.

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Last reviewed 30 September 2026 · Next review March 2027 · How we rate evidence