but clinical studies related to laetrile, as discussed in the amygdalin article, were unsuccessful. A review of the clinical evidence was published in 2006 with the conclusion "Therefore, the claim that laetrile has beneficial effects for cancer patients is not supported by sound clinical data."

Apricot kernels are strong-tasting and bitter, and are known in culinary contexts as bitter almonds or apricot almonds. They feature in recipes for apricot jam, marzipan and Italian amaretto cookies and liqueur.

Among materia medica, apricot kernels feature less in European traditions than in the Far East, where they are used to produce medications for respiratory problems.

Taken in excess, they may produce nausea, fever, rash, hive nose, headaches, insomnia, increased thirst, weakness, lethargy, nervousness, various aches and pains in joints and muscles, a drop in blood pressure. A clinical trial of Laetrile (amygdalin) carried out in 1982 by the Mayo Clinic and three other U.S. cancer centers under National Cancer Institute sponsorship, found among other things that several patients suffered from cyanide poisoning.