Is It Safe to Eat Apple Seeds? Experts Weigh In

Apples are part of a healthy diet and are the star of many recipes, from savory soups to delicious apple pie. Prepping apples for these dishes generally involves coring and cutting them without using the seeds. And usually, when eating a whole apple, we stop at the core and leave it, seeds and all.

But, those pesky seeds are tiny, and you might be wondering if accidentally eating one could make you sick—apple seeds have a reputation for being poisonous after all. We spoke with two experts to determine whether it’s safe to eat apple seeds—and what you should expect if you do.

Is It Safe to Eat Apple Seeds?

Eating a few apple seeds is generally safe, but don't make a habit of it, as they are poisonous to some degree. "Apple seeds contain a small amount of a natural compound called amygdalin, and that small quantity of amygdalin releases a small quantity of the poison hydrogen cyanide when it is digested," says Ben Naman, PhD, the director of medicinal plants research at the San Diego Botanic Garden. 

However, the risk of any adverse health reaction is quite low because you would need to consume a lot of apple seeds to reach toxic levels of cyanide in your body. And, the seeds need to be chewed or crushed—eating them whole won’t affect you. "An adult weighing 155 pounds will need to consume approximately 50 apples with seeds in less than a day to achieve an acute toxic dose," says Tetyana Cheairs, MD, MSPH, assistant professor of pathology, microbiology, and immunology at New York Medical College. "At low doses, the human body can detoxify and excrete cyanide."

Naman notes that people should be more concerned about children ingesting apple seeds and removing them where possible. "Accidentally swallowing one or two seeds isn’t usually cause for major concern," he says. "However, I try to warn people to take caution and cut out the apple seeds for snacks they might be giving to kids. Kids are more susceptible due to their smaller size, and they’re also often less aware of the risk," Dr. Cheairs adds that apple seeds pose a greater risk of choking or aspirating the seed for children. 

And, if you regularly drink pressed juice or smoothies that include whole apples, consider removing the seeds first or limiting your consumption. "The toxicity of a chemical depends on other factors, including duration of exposure and the individual sensitivity of a person exposed," Dr. Cheairs says. "Thus, a concern does exist for chronic long-term exposures to hydrogen cyanide in people who consume daily fresh-pressed smoothies and juices prepared from whole apples. Vulnerable individuals (e.g., infants and young children, pregnant women) should limit intake of these drinks."

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Side Effects of Eating Apple Seeds

The most likely side effect of eating crushed-up apple seeds is abdominal discomfort. Naman adds that you'll likely "see them come out on the other side without feeling any poisonous effects because your body won’t readily digest them."

In some instances, you may experience dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and headache. Very high doses of cyanide can produce seizures or loss of consciousness, says Dr. Cheairs. However, an extreme amount of apple seeds would need to be consumed in a small time window to produce much effect. "To have severe poisoning, a typical adult would have to eat quite a lot of crushed apple seeds," Naman says.

What to Do If You Consume Apple Seeds

If you are concerned about having consumed apple seeds, the first thing you should do is call Poison Control at 800-222-1222. If you believe you are experiencing symptoms of cyanide poisoning, call 911 for emergency services or follow up with your primary care physician.