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.
At a glance
Last reviewed 10 October 2026What it's used for
Evidence is rated per use. The same ingredient can be strong for one thing and traditional for another.
| Use | Evidence | What the research shows |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer (raw kernels, amygdalin, laetrile or "vitamin B17") | Traditional | A 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)Compare remedies for skin → | Traditional | We 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 |
| HairCompare remedies for hair & nails → | Traditional | We 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 supplement | Traditional | We 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.
How people take it
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
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 (7)
- 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.
- Regulator/health agency Food Standards Agency. Plant toxins (cyanide in raw apricot kernels). GOV.UK.
- Cochrane review Milazzo S, Horneber M. Laetrile treatment for cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015.
- 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.
- Case report Suchard JR, Wallace KL, Gerkin RD. Acute cyanide toxicity caused by apricot kernel ingestion. Ann Emerg Med. 1998.
- 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.
- 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.
Last reviewed 10 October 2026 · Next review April 2027 · How we rate evidence
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.