Apricot Kernels for Healing Cancer: The Story of the Hunza People of Northern Pakistan, their Health and Lifestyle

What the Hunzas Knew About Apricot Kernels

In the 1930s, Major Sir Robert McCarrison wrote about a tribe called the Hunzas who lived in the remote countryside near Northern Pakistan. He encountered this hardy community while he was working with the Indian Medical Service. According to McCarrison’s written observations, the Hunzas seemed to enjoy near-perfect health. Some lived to be over 135 years old and no one in their clan had any of the conditions so common in the modern world, such as diabetes, obesity, heart attack, and cancer.

Then, twenty years later, Dr. Ernest Krebs, a biochemist with a desire to understand what makes cancer cells work, discovered McCarrison’s writing about apricot kernels. Krebs also began studying the lifestyle habits of the Hunzas.

What became clear to Krebs was that the Hunzas’ vitality had a lot to do with their overall lifestyle and diet. Their diet consisted of raw milk, the occasional meat and bone broth, fresh grains and veggies. They ate little sugar and, as nomads and herders, they naturally got plenty of exercise. The other characteristic that was unique about the Hunzas is that they ate massive quantities of apricot seed kernels.

Intrigued, Krebs continued his research until he found what he thought was the secret weapon inside the humble apricot kernel when it came to tumour eradication – the glycoside amygdalin.

You may have heard about “laetrile” and how it can potentially help heal cancer, including breast cancer. Laetrile is the commercial label for apricot kernels (it also goes by name amygdalin or vitamin B17). You may have also heard about some possible dangers as well.

Unfortunately, “vitamin B17” is yet another natural substance that has fallen victim to misinformation and bad press. The truth is, apricot kernels have been consumed for their nutritional and healing properties for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years, especially in the cool, arid areas where apricot trees naturally grow… Read the full article here.

Article Summary

  • Apricot kernels have been consumed for their nutritional and healing properties for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
  • In the 1930s, Major Sir Robert McCarrison wrote about a tribe called the Hunzas who lived in the remote countryside near Northern Pakistan. The Hunzas seemed to enjoyed near-perfect health and had none of the conditions common in the modern world, such as diabetes, obesity, heart attack, and cancer.
  • When the beta-glucosidase in a cancer cell unlocks an amygdalin molecule, a toxic synergy is created that specifically targets cancer cells.
  • Apricot kernels are the easiest way to ingest amygdalin since Laetrile is still banned by the FDA in the U.S. It’s important to work with a qualified healthcare practitioner regarding dosage and potential side effects.
  • Amygdalin is a compound that is found in over 1,200 edible plants in nature and is found in the highest concentrations and with the most effective accompanying enzymes in apricot seed kernels. The Hunzas ate large quantities of apricot seed kernels.
  • The substance Laetrile was made by Dr. Ernest Krebs as a concentrated form of amygdalin obtained by extracting it from apricot kernels.
  • Amygdalin is a nitriloside, and its structure most resembles that of a B complex vitamin, so Dr. Krebs named it B17.

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1 Comment

  1. In the early 1970s, National Geographic ran an extensive series of articles investigating claims of long-lived people around the world. The Hunza people, who lived in the Hunza Valley in Northern Pakistan, were one of those peoples. They became fascinating case studies of the unique region in which they live.

    The Hunza Valley is a fertile valley that supports agriculture and provides isolation from the rest of the world, and it’s also located at a very high altitude.

    How Long Do They Live?
    Physicians examined the Hunza and made their best guesses to how old the people were. Without focusing too much on documented maximum age, the truly extraordinary fact is that all reports of the Hunza mention that the elderly population is fit, full of vitality and virtually free from disease, which still holds true to this day.

    Their Diet
    Hunzas consume a mostly plant-based diet, eaten raw. Because they are so isolated, the Hunza do not have access to a large amount of fuel for cooking food, nor are there many animals available for eating, so they plant what they can and gather the rest. Apricots, cherries, grapes, plums, and peaches are all cultivated by the Hunza. They also eat a lot of grains — wheat, barley, and millet — and chapati, their daily bread.

    But Are They Happy?
    Absolutely. In fact, some researchers have called the Hunza the happiest people on Earth. The Hunza have a certain passion and zest for life, perhaps brought on to some extent by their daily rigorous exercise and simple lifestyle.

    What We Can Learn From the Hunza
    If you take anything away from their knowledge, let it be these three things:

    Eat raw fruits and vegetables
    Exercise daily
    Have a positive outlook

    (source: summarised from https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-hunza-valley-the-original-shangri-la-2224049)

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