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How many apple seeds does it take to kill a human? That’s a question that has been asked a lot recently, and with good reason. Apple seeds contain a compound called amygdalin, which is converted into cyanide in the body. Cyanide is a very poisonous substance, and can be fatal in high enough doses.
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The amount of cyanide in an apple seed is very small.
The amount of cyanide in an apple seed is very small. There is enough to potentially kill a child, but not an adult. The reason that apple seeds can be poisonous is because they contain a compound called amygdalin. Amygdalin is found in the seeds of many different fruits, but it’s especially concentrated in apple seeds.
A human would need to eat a lot of apple seeds to be poisoned.
Thephylline and other compounds in apple seeds can accumulated in the body and might cause cyanide poisoning. A human would need to eat a lot of apple seeds to be poisoned. The median lethal dose (LD50) of cyanide is 200 mg for an average adult. That would require eating about 50 apple seeds. But eating a smaller number of apple seeds, especially over time, might also be dangerous.
The amount of cyanide in an apple seed is not enough to kill a human.
One apple tree can produce up to 15-20 bushels of apples in a season. Each bushel of apples contains approximately 2,500 seeds. So, a single apple tree could potentially produce enough seeds to kill 10,000 humans. However, it takes a lot of seeds to actually kill a human. The amount of cyanide in an apple seed is not enough to kill a human. A person would need to eat approximately 150 apple seeds to ingest a lethal dose of cyanide.
