Customer Reviews

The Little Cyanide Cookbook; Delicious Recipes Rich in Vitamin B17

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When my friends see this book on my bookshelf they often look puzzled. Perhaps they think twice about letting me cook for them! After all with a title like "Little Cyanide Cookbook," the book is bound to raise some eyebrows.

In reality this is a collection of recipes rich in cyanide containing foods, specifically amygdalin, which the author believes should be called `Vitamin B17.' This chemical is also known as `laetrile' which is the biggest name (some would say biggest shame) in alternative cancer therapies. Some scientists hold the theory that eating enough of these cyanide-containing sugars (which incidentally are anti-oxidants) will prevent cancer. Indeed many societies that are free from cancer (such as the Hunzas) consume quite a bit of these sugars. I have investigated the whole laetrile controversy for many years, which is why I own the book.

I can't say that I completely swallow all of the theory, but if you do, or are just investigating cyanide-containing chemicals as a cancer preventative, this book should be of use. The only drawback is that many of our favorite foods do not contain these "cyanogenic glycosides," so the recipes may be hard to put together. Also, many of the recipes call for ground-up apricot seeds, which are semi-legal and bitter tasting. For those wondering, there is no real danger of cyanide poisoning from the recipes that De Spain promotes. Some of the foods that contain cyanide which we eat everyday in large amounts are: lentils, millet, blackberries, raspberries, buckwheat, lima beans, and peas.

Although it often seems a bit unfair to rate a book lower based on my expectations, that's where I'm going with this. I think my expectations might be similar to yours.

I expected this book to have healthy, mostly vegetarian recipes, so I was surprised that so many, many of them were for meat dishes. I couldn't use the book, so I passed it on to someone else immediately.

Many of the recipes also use a very small amount of ground apricot kernels sprinkled onto an otherwise ordinary dish, which doesn't seem like enough to qualify the dish as rich in B17.

I'd suggest learning which foods have B17, and doing a computer search for recipes for them.

I Love this cookbook! Very, very informative and helpful to give examples of healthy ways to add B17 to your diet! Highly recommend it to all who want to ward off cancer ;0)

If you`re concerned about cancer , and, who isn`t?, this is a great cook book featuring foods that are loaded with B-17. recipes are easy and well-composed

if you like bitter almonds, or like to start eating them because of the health benefits, this little book will tell you how to make yummy tasting stuff without being turned down by the bitterness of the bitter almonds!

A comprehensive list of foods containing Vitamin C and interesting ways to cook with them. It is good to know that apricot kernels are not the only source.This book should enable everyone to consume a diet rich in this important nutrient, thereby minimising chances of cancer striking them.

I thought this book was a recipe of creative ways of "fixing" problems whether its your spouse, mother-in-law or business associate. All I found in this book were a bunch of recipes. I tried a few and the food is good but I was looking for a little more help than just food.

Please be careful. Cyanide can kill you. I'm not saying it couldn't be helpful; I don't know that it doesn't prevent or cure cancer. Certainly it can be deadly, though.

According to an article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition called "Laterile: the Cult of Cyanide", this author was hospitalized and fell into a coma from consuming 25 crushed apricot pits with honey. She almost died. You can die from cyanide poisoning from common foods.

the thing with not eating meat is that you really do miss some vital nutrients. it doesn't mean you have to walk around with a slab of bloody beef at all times, but fish (salmon?) and poultry are needed, if even in small quantities.

funny thing is, vegetarians take b-12 to make up for the lack of such through a non-meat diet. thing is, i was reading that these forms of b-12 don't absorb the natural way, if anything, it's actually worse than eating meat, as it blocks the b-12 from getting through.

effects of lack of b-12 can be neurological problems (i seriously read that) as well as depression....