"An apple a day keeps the doctor away". That statement is truly said. But do you know chewing and swallowing a certain number of seeds can keep you at the doctor's? I bet you didn't know.
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Apples are one of the world's popular fruits and are a favourite to many. Notwithstanding, the small black seed found in it are usually avoided because of their bitter taste and their poisonous effect on the human body.
Apple seeds contain a toxic plant compound known as amygdalin which when swallowed from chewing the seeds can be broken down by some certain enzymes in the gut to form glucose, benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide which is the killer.
These enzymes, however, take their time to work thus creating a painful and slow death. By masticating and ingesting a lethal amount of apple seeds, you will inevitably experience the various stages of cyanide poisoning including general weakness in the body, headaches, vertigo, confusion, difficulty in breathing followed by pulmonary edema (accumulation of fluid in the lungs), loss of consciousness, coma, cardiac arrest and eventually death.
How Much Apple Seeds Can Destroy Your Health.
| Body weight (pounds) | Body weight (kg) | Apple seeds (gram) | Apple seeds (number) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20(toddler) | 9 | 19-529 | 27-756 |
| 120 | 54 | 113-3,175 | 162-4,536 |
| 130 | 59 | 123-3,440 | 176-4,914 |
| 140 | 64 | 132-3,704 | 189-5,292 |
| 150 | 68 | 142-3,969 | 203-5,670 |
| 160 | 73 | 151-4,234 | 216-6,048 |
| 170 | 77 | 161-4,498 | 229-6,426 |
| 180 | 82 | 170-4,763 | 243-6,804 |
| 190 | 86 | 180-5,027 | 256-7,182 |
| 200 | 91 | 189-5,292 | 270-7,560 |
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The table above shows how many apple seeds you would need to eat to risk death, relative to your body weight.
A 54kg adult will have to chew and swallow at least 113 apple seeds for it to have a lethal effect on him.
The Bottomline.
Apple seed contains amygdaline which form cyanide when it comes in contact with some enzymes in the gut when it is chewed and digested.
However, small amounts of apple seeds do not contain enough amygdaline that will be toxic to the human body. Eating a few seeds is safe. Eating them in large quantities is fatal.
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