The “Dark Secret” Behind a Sweet Fruit
This hidden risk creates a fascinating paradox: the fruit that symbolizes health, vitality, and wellness contains a toxic element in its core. It’s almost like nature’s warning — enjoy the sweetness, but don’t mess with the bitter center.
Interestingly, this isn’t unique to apples. Many fruits in the rose family have seeds or pits that contain amygdalin, including:
Cherries
Peaches
Apricots
Plums
Almonds (bitter almonds in particular)
All of them contain cyanogenic glycosides in their pits or kernels. That’s why eating large amounts of these seeds or using “apricot kernel” extracts as alternative medicine has raised safety concerns.
Why Do Apple Seeds Contain Toxins?
It may sound strange that a healthy fruit would produce toxic seeds, but this is actually a survival strategy from nature.
Plants don’t want animals to destroy their seeds — they want seeds to be dispersed, so they can grow into new plants. By making the seeds toxic or bitter, the plant discourages animals (including humans) from eating them, while still making the fruit flesh appealing.
It’s a clever balance between attraction and protection.
