He was treated
Self-medication with apricot seeds brought the Briton to cyanide poisoning
Chronic cyanide intoxication was received by an elderly Briton who had been using apricot kernel extract daily for five years. He used this method of traditional medicine, which was not scientifically confirmed in any way, to prevent cancer.
British doctors described a case of cyanide poisoning in a 67-year-old patient. This would not be surprising if the source of the toxic substance were not apricot pits, which are sold in every major supermarket. It turned out that the Briton earned chronic intoxication by daily consuming two teaspoons of apricot kernel extract of his own preparation in addition to three tablets of Novodalin, which also contain it. Novodalin – essentially a dietary supplement with unconfirmed efficacy – is made from apricot kernels; the manufacturer claims that the amygdalin contained in it helps in the prevention and even treatment of cancer.
The story began with the fact that during anesthesia with a simple medical intervention (cystoscopy – examination of the bladder), the patient experienced severe hypoxia, a life-threatening decrease in oxygen content in the blood. Doctors began to find out the reasons for such an uncharacteristic reaction, ruled out many possible causes, and then blood tests showed an abnormally high cyanide content in the man's body. Its source just turned out to be harmless at first glance apricot pits. The researchers calculated that the man took about 4 grams of cyanide every day, and this is enough to make the level of its content in the body 25 times higher than normal.
Apricot pits are a popular remedy in folk medicine used for cancer prevention, the effectiveness of which has not been proven by scientific methods. The patient in this case was just in remission after suffering from cancer, and thus hoped to prevent its recurrence. He independently decided to take three tablets of Novodalin a day containing apricot kernel extract, and, in fact, the seeds themselves.
Doctors pay attention to the fact that the described case is a typical example of the consequences that uncontrolled consumption in large quantities of even seemingly harmless substances and products can lead to.
The case description is published in BMJ Case Reports.
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12.09.2017