Presented by THE ROBERT CATHEY RESEARCH SOURCE http://www.europa.com/~rsc --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current Location: http://www.europa.com/~rsc/updates/121497.txt Format: Norton's Editor, Line=74 characters --------------------------------------------------------------------------- RCRS Email Update 14 December 1997 Our web site has generated a broader interest in the use of nitrilosides in cancer prevention and therapy. It is only natural I suppose that people ranging about looking for answers to their problems would begin applying some of the information derivable from these papers to their problem. I became concerned in one instance because an individual wrote me saying they were "brewing" up nitriloside rich foods. For the sake of clarity, and the beginnings of a more generalized discussion of this most interesting natural compound, I attach below, in part, my response to this individual. rsc. Although various African tribes ferment with manioc (cassava) and other nitrilosidic food sources, fermenting is generally discouraged. These tribes also suffer from goiter as a result of thiocyanate binding iodine in excess of dietary resources of iodine which is low. But there are other more common sense things to consider. One should not make a concoction of any nitriloside bearing food as in a drink to keep. While it is reasonable to assume that any nitriloside bearing sprout could safely be used in a juicer with nominal toxicity if drunk immediately, if left to sit for longer lenghts of time (outside the detoxifying processess in the body) it could release enough free HCN to be toxic if suddenly introduced into the system. The mechanism for this is through the action of the enzyme beta-glucosidase accompanying most of these cyanophoric glycosides. When the glycoside and the enzyme are brought into intimate contact through crushing and diffusion in the diluted drinks, varying proportions of hydrocyanic acid (HCN) are released. Most of these food sources are also accompanied by rhodanese, which will convert the HCN to thiocyanate in the presence of available sulfur, but the percentage of rhodanese to HCN in such foods is currently unknown to me. Krebs asserted that rhodanese is always found in tissue proportionately with beta-glucosidase, and functionally in excess of this unlocking enzyme. Presumably this statement means the enzyme rhodanese has a longer half-life than beta-glucosidase. Let that be as it may, if in food resources HCN and the detoxifying substances and catalysts are not counterbalanced precisely, or if HCN is in excess of these resoures, then obviously there may be an excess of HCN available after hydrolysis and detoxification in these drinks. The longer such a concoction sits, the greater the action of the beta-glucosidase on the nitriloside molecule, and the greater the free HCN in this hypothetical situation. The only counteractive agent left is therefore in the body itself. The body can detoxify a fairly large amount of HCN, but it acts in a definite ratio per unit time, and a large sudden influx of HCN can overwhelm the detox pathways. The percentage of HCN freed from mung bean sprouts may be fairly low compared to an apricot kernel "brew", but the idea of brews was condemned by Krebs, and generally is contrary to what Krebs advised for nutritional intake of B-17. The recommended preventative intake of nitrilosides according to Krebs was 1 apricot or peach seed per 10 pounds of body weight. Since the average percentage of total nitriloside or B-17 in apricot and peach seeds is around 2% B-17 per seed (averaging each seed to 1 gram), for a person weighing 150 lbs: 150lbs x (1 seed/10 lbs) = 15 seeds. The molar mass of the unmetabolized amygdalin is about 457 grams (C19H26O11HCN). Since each 1 gram seed yields on average 20 mg B-17 per seed, there would be 300 milligrams B-17 in 15 seeds. There are 27 grams HCN per mole of B-17, or per 457 grams B17, thus through this conversion factor it can be found that the potential HCN yielded is about 1.2 mg HCN/seed, x 15 = 18 mg HCN, or roughly 6% HCN. The optimal amount of injectable B-17 used clinically was conservatively set at 300 mg/kg body mass. This of course equates to a dose of 22 grams of purified amygdalin or B-17 per day for a 150 pound person, and yielding about 1.3 grams of potential free HCN with a distribution of 18 mg HCN/kilogram body mass. An individual weighing 150 lbs consuming a mere 300 mgs of B-17 is thus well within the clinical safe-dose range providing that the B vitamins, sulfur, and amino-acid resources are normal. (The body's primary cyanide detoxifiers are thiosulfate transulferase + sulfur, and hydroxocobalamin or pro-vitamin B-12). The body mass distribution of 18 mg HCN in the case above (150 pound person) equates to about .12 mg HCN/kilogram body weight, well under the clinical practice, and certainly within the range of tolerance of the body's ability to detoxify HCN. Krebs discussed several cases where patients in desperation consumed 2 and 3 times that amount in the form of seeds in a single day over a period of months with no ill effects, and positive outcomes. I have correspondence with two individuals right now claiming their conversion to vegetarian diets and eating large amounts of apricots and their seeds saved their lives. These anecdotes are very interesting, and bear closer study, but we shouldn't make the mistake of thinking a little is good, so more is better. At the same time, however this type of extrapolation *has* had positive outcomes historically in the use of penicillin, and ascorbic acid and more recently in the use of chromium in diabetes, obesity and cancer. In the early days of amygdalin therapy, they found that 1 gram per day was not nearly as effective as 8 and 9 grams per day. And the dose went up to a point beyond which no benefit could be precisely measured, but no harm resulted either. (Manner, 1979; Krebs, et al, 1974) The human tolerance of HCN has been given varying figures, depending on the form. For example, 1 mmol of potassium cyanide (at 65mg of KCN/mmol KCN) is considered a treatable intoxication, using about 1400 mg of provitamin B12 or hydroxocobalamin. According to one reference, "..one molecule of vitamin B12a is needed to detoxify one molecule of cyanide. This is equivalent to a dose of about 50 times by weight of the hydroxycobalamin for each weight of the cyanide. Thus, about 1400mg hydroxocobalamin is required to detoxify 1 mmol of cyanide." (Internet search) The rate at which free HCN is released from the organic molecule B-17 should not be compared to the application of 65 mg free KCN/mmol. The sudden direct action in the lungs or even stomach is not the same as the bound molecule metabolized through the intestines, or the injectable form in the serum. Detox obviously will depend on rates of synthesis of detox enzymes, rates of intermix of the detoxifying agents over a body-wide distribution, etc. According to Thienes' and Haley's Clinical Toxicology, the average fatal dose of NaCN or KCN is about 250 mg, though they point out 1/4 that amount has been noted as cause of death in some cases. HCN is considered twice as toxic as it's salts. They note that Gettler and Baine found that as little as 1.5 mg per kg was absorbed in fatal doses. The total amounts of free HCN actually applied before the amounts absorbed in fatal doses as found by Gettler et al. of free HCN is not given in the text I have, but it is probably greater than any reasonable amount derivable metabolically from common food sources *in common sense portions*. The most famous example against common sense in this was noted by JI Rodale who reported a case of a man eating a whole cup of apple seeds and apparently died of nitrile-toxicosis. (No one ever produced proof that this actually occured). In one case discussed by Moertal during trials with an iso-amygdalin, a patient was eating sweet almonds while taking oral tablets, and suffered low order toxicity suggesting cyanide poisoning. This is because the sweet almonds are especially rich in beta-glucosidase, though lacking completely in amygdalin. They are probably the most highly hybridized food in the world, having been selected out thousands of years ago from the bitter almond. Dr. Gettler was an expert in this kind of analysis, and so it is interesting to note his findings regarding the Krebses' patented Laetrile: "Before starting the analysis, I thought it would save time to get the structure of the compound. I wrote to the Spicer-Gerhart Company and they gave me the following formula: [benzaldehyde-HCN-O-glucuronic acid] "I then proceeded to check up on this formula. There is no free Hydrocyanic acid or free cyanide present. It is firmly bound in the molecule. "I then hydrolyzed (broke up) the compound by boiling with HCl under a reflux. On testing for the components produced, I found Hydrocyanic acid, glucuronic acid and an aglycon moiety which seemed to be benzaldehyde. My analysis checked the formula given. "The compound can also be hydrolyzed by the enzyme B glucuronidase found in malignant tissue, thus liberating HCN at the site of the tumor. I hope this will answer your inquiry. Alexander A. Gettler, Ph.D." The rule of thumb is that if you eat 18 or 50 apricot seeds a day, you should be eating an equal amount of the whole fruit. As Krebs was fond of saying, such a rule is self-limiting. No one could eat a cup of apple seeds had they been eating a corresponding amount of the whole fruit. In the case of sulphured dried apricots, it seems you'd be getting a useable source of sulphur towards detoxification. I hope you'll forgive my going on like this. I think it is wise to be well armed with knowledge in pursuing any form of treatment, and I advise against self treatment using resources intended for use by a licensed physician who will know how to deal with emergent situations. In the dietary, the above words should, I hope, raise practical cautions. I consider the cytotoxic role of laetrile as only one aspect of it's multivaried activity towards cancer. Perhaps more important is it's role along with other agents in the body toward reactivating inhibited serum enzymes. The proteolytic enzymes such as papain, bromelain, and probably trypsin and chymotrypsin will have their proteolytic power multiplied several times by administration of nitrilosides. Thus it is logical to ingest abundant raw food enzymes available from such sources as pineapple, papaya, cassava and barley sprouts. The most important enzyme is the glycolytic enzyme amylase, followed by trypsin, which the body uses to strip first the carbohydrate of the cancer cell, then the protein backbone respectively. Whole pancreatic enzymes, pancreatin, with carboxypeptidase, trypsin, chymotrypsin, amylase, ribonuclease and lipase, etc. is the protocol advocated by John Beard, and which is essential for optimal function of nitriloside. It is the HCN and the thiocyanate that accelerates the proteolysis phase. But enzymes have to be there, they are the keystone. So it is logical to also supplement amino-acids for adequate synthesis of these enzymes; then the application of magnesium chloride for optimal trypsin activation and biologically active chromium (brewer's yeast is an excellent source) to potentiate trypsin, and to assist insulin in the delivery of the amino acids to the pancreatic cells responsible for synthesis. R. Cathey Bibliography Personal Communications with Dr. Krebs underlie much of what I know about injectable laetrile dosage. Manner HW, DiSanti SJ, and Michalsen TL: Death of Cancer, 1979, Advanced Century Publishing Corporation, Chicago. The Laetriles -- Nitrilosides -- In the Prevention and Control of Cancer, 1974, McNaughton Foundation: A compilation of various papers written by Krebs, cancer clinicians who used both amygdalin and the patented Laetrile. Reprint available from RCRS for $20. For an overview of the trophoblastic basis of cancer, and the vitamin nature of nitrilosides, see http://www.europa.com/~rsc/cancer/overvie1.htm (that is a "one" not an "L" in the file name). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The ROBERT CATHEY RESEARCH SOURCE. All pages Copyright © 1996 R.S.Cathey, except where specified otherwise.