Apples are a popular and healthy fruit. They are also healthy, with antioxidant properties that help protect against cancer-inducing oxidative damage that can lead to various health problems. The saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” has withstood the test of time because of the impressive health profile of apples.

But as you bite deep into an apple, reaching its core, you are confronted with something not so sweet: tiny black seeds. Unlike the sweet tang of the fruit, the tiny black seeds found in an apple’s core are another story. They contain amygdalin, a substance that releases cyanide when it comes into contact with human digestive enzymes, but acute toxicity is rare with accidental ingestion of seeds.

How Cyanide Works
Cyanide is a chemical that has gained infamy as one of the deadliest poisons with a long history in chemical warfare and mass suicide. Many compounds that contain cyanide — called cyanoglycosides — are found in nature, often in fruit seeds. Amygdalin is one of these.

Apple seeds, as well as many other fruit seeds or pits, have a strong outer layer that is resistant to digestive juices. But if you chew the seeds, amygdalin could be released in the body and produce cyanide. Small amounts can be detoxified by enzymes in your body, but large amounts can be dangerous.

Apple seeds contain amygdalin, a substance that releases cyanide into the blood stream when chewed and digested. When comparing the amount of cyanide present in apple seeds with the amount needed to induce death, apple seeds in small amounts do not contain enough cyanide to cause harm. However, it is better to spit out seeds to avoid any potential issues.