The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry says that exposure to even small amounts of cyanide can be dangerous. Exposure to cyanide can harm the heart and brain, and even lead to coma and death. read more
If chewed, the same amount of apple seeds may turn into 0.06 to 0.24 mg of cyanide, with a lethal dose of cyanide from apricot kernels reported as being 0.5 to 3.5 mg/kg body weight. 5, 6 As Authority Nutrition noted, "The exact lethal dose of apple seeds varies widely. read more
The amygdalin content in one gram of apple seeds ranges from 1-4 mg, depending on the variety (9, 10). However, the amount of cyanide derived from apple seeds is much less. One gram of finely crushed or chewed apple seeds may deliver up to 0.06-0.24 mg of cyanide (11, 12). As a result, eating two cups of ground apple seeds might be fatal. read more
Most apple cores contain around 5 apple seeds. However, this amount will vary based on the health of the plant. You would need to finely chew and eat about 200 apple seeds, or about 40 apple cores, to receive a fatal dose. read more