Did you know that apple seeds contain poisons chemical Cyanide? How much is lethal?

Didn't you hear somewhere that apple seeds are poisonous?
If not, this is the story for you…

Apple is a well-known fruit and one of the healthiest fruits. but the same fruit can turn fatal.

The apples contain a compound called “amygdalin” in their seeds (pips), which is a cyanide and sugar based molecule. If we chew apple seeds, the digestive enzymes come into contact with the amygdalin and releases the chemical called cyanide (hydrogen cyanide (HCN)).

Cyanide is one of the most famous and deadliest poisons known to man. The acute lethal dose of cyanide from human is reported to be  around 0.5–3.5 mg per kilogram of body weight. One gram of crushed/chewed apple seeds contain up to 0.24mg of cyanide. Approximately, a cup of crushed apple seeds (approximately 200 apple seeds) can be fatal for the our body. once a fatal dose has been ingested death takes place within minutes. Lower amount of cyanide may also cause nausea, headache, vomiting, stomach cramps, dizziness, confusion and weakness.
Swallowing whole apple seeds without crushed or chewed isn’t that dangerous, as they pass without causing any harms to the body. Of course, apple seeds are highly resistant to digestive juices because they have a strong outer layer.
Other fruit seeds that also have amygdalin chemical are apricot, cherries, pears, peach, certain almonds and plum.

References: