Caution: Cherry Pits Can Cause Cyanide Poisoning—Here’s How

We love celebrating summer with backyard barbecues and refreshing cocktails, but the real star of the season is produce. It’s the best time of the year to enjoy fruits like watermelon, strawberries, peaches, and cherries. But beyond worrying about finding the ripest and sweetest fruit, there’s a precaution that’s much more serious: cherry pits.

The stones in the center of cherries are something we always have to eat around, but sometimes we may accidentally end up swallowing one. Unlike watermelon seeds, however, the pits at the center of cherries are anything but harmless, so it’s important to proceed with caution.

We consulted Rosemary Trout, program director of culinary arts and food science at Drexel University, to unpack everything you need to know about cherry pits so you can snack safely this summer.

Is It Safe To Eat A Cherry Pit?

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There are several health risks posed by eating cherry pits, which is why you should avoid them. Firstly, their small size makes them especially easy to swallow accidentally, which may cause choking (particularly with children). But blocking your windpipe isn’t the only thing you need to worry about.

Cherry pits contain concentrated amounts of a substance called amygdalin that can be extremely dangerous when consumed. “Amygdalin is a compound that interacts with enzymes in your saliva to form cyanide, a highly toxic chemical,” Trout says.

The CDC reports that even small doses of cyanide can quickly cause chest pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness, and vomiting. In more severe cases, it can even kill you.

Other types of stone fruit, like peaches, apricots, and plums, also have pits that contain amygdalin. But the concentration varies across fruits, and even within the same species of fruit based on where it’s grown.

What Happens If You Eat A Cherry Pit?

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The severity of the health risks depend on how cherry pits are consumed. All of the harmful amygdalin is stored in the center of the pit, so the kernel surrounding it acts as a protective coating.

“If pits are whole and unbroken, the amygdalin is not accessible to interact with saliva to form cyanide,” Trout says. “If you accidentally swallow a single pit, it likely will travel through your digestive tract in tact and won’t cause problems.”

The dangers of cherry pits present themselves when they’re broken, when the amygdalin is released and can convert to cyanide. The tough kernel is fairly difficult to crack with your teeth, so the risk of poisoning when snacking on the fruit is fairly low. The more likely risk is adding whole cherries, pits and all, to a blender when making a smoothie.

The amount of broken cherry pits needed to cause acute cyanide poisoning isn’t known, but adverse reactions can happen from extremely small amounts of the toxin. So if you happen to consume a cracked pit, experts recommend calling Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.