Is It Safe to Eat Cherry Pits?
Cherry season is in full swing—should you be concerned if you eat a pit? Find out if cherry pits are poisonous.
Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD
From sour cherries to sweet ones, the antioxidant-packed fruit is one of the highlights of summer. Cherry season is fleeting, roughly lasting from June through August, so we understand if you eat as many as you can while they're available. But in your haste to enjoy the fresh summer fruit, you may accidentally swallow a cherry pit—is that safe? Read on to learn about cherry pit poisoning and if they're toxic for humans.
Related: Here's Why Eating Too Many Cherries Makes You Poop
Are Cherry Pits Poisonous?
Cherries are from the Prunus family, which contains other stone fruits like plums, apricots and nectarines. According to Molecules, cherry pits contain amygdalin, a naturally occurring compound that our bodies convert into hydrogen cyanide, a dangerous toxin. When ingested or inhaled in large amounts, hydrogen cyanide can lead to cyanide poisoning, with symptoms including dizziness, nausea and more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cherry pits can be poisonous—however, one would have to consume a large quantity for potential side effects. As Kait Brown, Pharm.D., DABAT, clinical managing director at America's Poison Centers, explains, "Fortunately, the amount of hydrogen cyanide released from cherry pits is in such small quantities that no harmful effects are expected from accidental ingestion of a few pits."
Is It Safe to Eat Cherry Pits?
While it may be OK to accidentally ingest a few cherry pits, as a general rule, you should remove them before eating. To remove the pits, you can use a tool like this one from OXO, or simply spit the pit out before consuming the rest of the fruit.
If you do swallow a pit or two, the Missouri Poison Center states that the potential risk for toxicity is low. The pit will pass through your body intact and be expelled in your stool. The amygdalin in the cherry pit is only released when it has been crushed or chewed. However, the risk of crushing the pit is low, as it has a hard exterior.
As Brown notes, "Typically, accidentally swallowing a whole cherry pit or two will not pose more than a choking hazard. Accidentally pulverizing a small number of cherry pits in a blender while making a smoothie is also unlikely to cause symptoms." Since the amount of amygdalin can vary in each cherry pit, though, it's best to take things on a case-by-case basis if you accidentally swallow a pit.
If you do swallow a few cherry pits, here's what you should do:
Wipe or rinse out your mouth.
Drink water.
Call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 for further instruction.
"It is especially important to speak to an expert if someone is intentionally swallowing whole or pulverized cherry pits, has accidentally consumed pulverized cherry pits or if someone is experiencing symptoms after eating cherry pits," recommends Brown. The Poison Help line is a free service available 24/7 should you need help. Symptoms can include headaches, vomiting, confusion and more, according to the CDC.
With this advice in mind, you can enjoy cherry season to its fullest, minus the pits. And if you want to make the best of this fleeting summer fruit's season, find out how to store cherries so they last.
