I've heard that eating a cup of crushed pear seeds can kill you?

Supposedly it's because they contain cyanide...



Anybody know how true this is?
I've heard that eating a cup of crushed pear seeds can kill you?
Most of your sweet fleshy fruits (Apples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums,cherries) are all members of the Rosaceae family and are either in the sub-family Maloideae or Prunoideae. Plants in both of these sub-families often have large levels of chemicals (Cyano-glycocides) which can poison you.



So yes, eating a large number of pits from a pear can make you violently ill or even kill you.
Reply:my boyfriend was eating a pear today and he was dared to eat the whole entire thing, including the seeds and everything, [and if i was there then i would absolutly stop him from doing it!] and now he says that he has a head ache and a major stomach ache!! is he going to be ok?? please tell me... =[ Report It
Reply:i doubt it.
Reply:I know apple seeds do.

almonds also have small traces to.

It would take a lot to harm you.
Reply:don't know about pear seeds but i know that apple seeds contain it. why would you want to eat crushed pear seeds anyway?
Reply:well, cyadine is poisen, so probably if you had that much poisen you would die. not sure though
Reply:I've heard a peach seed can kill you. But not pear. Apple seeds aren't very good for you, either.
Reply:Pear pips contain amygdalin - a compound that the body breaks down into hydrogen cyanide, although you'd probably need to eat your body weight in pears to receive a lethal dose.



It is also found in apricot, peach, plum, bitter almond and, apple along with over 1,200 other plant sources.
Reply:Well, apple seeds contain cyanide, i'm not sure about pear seeds.