Can you eat the flesh of an apple?
The flesh is the edible part of the apple. The seeds actually contain a tiny amount of cyanide, which is a deadly poison. So do not eat the seeds, and once you come to the core (which is harder than the rest of the flesh), you've eaten the apple.
Is it safe to eat the seeds of an apple?
So do not eat the seeds, and once you come to the core (which is harder than the rest of the flesh), you've eaten the apple. Improvement: the seeds do contain a very small amount of cyanide that is covalently bonded so it is only released in the presence of certain substances, one the enzymes produced by cancer cells so to possibly prevent cancer.
Do apples have amygdalin?
Apples contain plenty of healthful compounds, including antioxidants, vitamins, and dietary fiber. Apple seeds, however, contain a plant compound called amygdalin, which can have a toxic effect. Amygdalin is a part of the seeds’ chemical defenses.
Are apple seeds poisonous to children?
Young children have a greater risk. For the toxic compounds in apple seeds to be lethal, the number of seeds would depend on a person’s body weight, their tolerance, and the type of apple. The amount of amygdalin in an apple varies, depending on the variety of apple and its growing environment.
Are apple seeds toxic?
Eating apple seeds is only unsafe if a person does so in large quantities.
What about apple juice?
Apple juice and smoothies often contain entire crushed apples, including the core and seeds.
How much cyanide is in apple seeds?
Apple seeds have the potential to release 0.6 mg of hydrogen cyanide per gram. This means that a person would have to eat 83–500 apple seeds to develop acute cyanide poisoning.
How many apples can you eat to get cyanide poisoning?
This means that a person would have to eat 83–500 apple seeds to develop acute cyanide poisoning. In other words, consuming cups of ground apple seeds might be fatal, or at least cause illness. However, eating the seeds in one apple would not pose a problem.
How many seeds are in an apple?
Apples have five seed pockets, with varying numbers of seeds in each pocket. Some believe that apple seeds are poisonous, while others consider them to be healthful. Most people avoid the seeds, which have a bitter taste, but a person may occasionally eat one or a few by accident and not bother to spit them out.
What is the compound in apple seeds?
Apple seeds, however, contain a plant compound called amygdalin, which can have a toxic effect.
Where does amygdalin come from?
Amygdalin exists in relatively high amounts in the seeds of fruits in the Rosaceae family, which includes apples, almonds, apricots, peaches, and cherries.
