Dan, that makes sense. Most of the stone fruit (peaches, apricots, plums) are in the rose family and loquats (at least 2 different species I know of) are members. Their pits contain dangerous levels of cyanide compounds. Our native holly-leaf cherry was used by the native Chumash people as a source of food and they knew that they had to leach out the poisons from the pits by repeated soakings and boilings before they made a mush out of them.

I take the loquat seeds and soak them in vodka for three or four months making a nice cherry flavored liquor. I found the recipe on the net a few years ago. I know for a fact that one can drink a couple of ounces of this after dinner and experience only expected effects. I would not drink the entire bottle, however. I have also heard of folks who roast the seeds and eat them. That's sounds a bit much to me.

Wow, I thought I was the only one to find out that the seeds, when used properly, give a great "cherry" flavor. I discovered it when I tossed a few whole loquats inside a chicken before roasting it. Afterwards, they tasted so cherry-like that I could't believe the change. Then I researched this and found that years ago people would cook them, dye them red, and make "cherry" pies with them. You would be fooled. Paul. P.S. I'm not dead from eating them.

Actually, whether or not the nut is poisonous seems up for debate. Today I found a recipe for Italian loquat nut liquour (made by soaking them in grain alcohol) and also a recipe for making wine from the fruit! I even found a reference to eating the nut to treat cancer. I am sticking to the fruit, for now. Made a nice batch of jam and used some to make a ginger citrus glaze for some pork chops. Yum!

This is the "plum wine" regularly served in oriental restaurants. Good, no? Paul.

I found this online...

More articles at Planetherbs.com

Loquat Leaf, fruit and seed

Dr. Michael Tierra L.Ac., O.M.D.

Biological Name: Rosaceae Eriobotryae japonicae

Other Names: Loquat leaf, pi pa ye

Is a subtropical tree belonging to the rosaceae family . The fruit, kernel and tender leaves are all used for medicinal purpose.

Nature and flavor : sweet sour and moderate.

Constituents: Its flesh contains malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, tannate, carotene, vitamins A, B and C. It leaves and kernel contain amygdalin (amygdalin is otherwise known as the anti-cancer vitamin, B17 or laetrile). .

Properties: Antitussive, expectorant, antiemetic

Action: Beneficial to the vital energy of the lungs. It dissolves and expectorates phlegm and alleviates cough. Relieving coughing and vomiting. The flesh promotes the secretion of body fluids and eliminates thirst. The tender leaves are used for various types of coughs but the under side is usually prepared by rubbing the hairs off so they do not irritate the throat.

Indications: Coughing due to evil heat in the lungs. Chronic and acute bronchitis. Thirst due to evil summer heat can treated with loquat leaves, drunk as a substitute for tea.

Dosage: 6-15 grams

Safety: Loquat leaf should not be used for cough caused by cold.

Recently in Europe, I had a conversation with some people who had stayed on the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean. They mentioned how herbalists there were prescribing loquat leaf tea with some success to patients with various types of cancer. I knew that loquat had the hydrocyanic glycosides in common with apricot and peach seeds as well as wild cherry tree bark. These hydrocyanic glycosides are also known as amygdalin better known from the work of Dr. Krebs as laetrile and that laetrile is still respected by many people as both a cancer preventive and cure for some cancers.

In treating one of my patients for a rare form of blood vessel cancer (by the way, he seems to be doing very well so far), a Japanese neighbor of his recommended that he drink loquat leaf tea (just as herbalists on Cyprus were recommending) and that he eat 2 loquat seeds daily because these are some 1300 times higher in amygdalin than the leaves. She told him of a man with bone marrow cancer who cured himself of bone marrow cancer by eating a loquat seed every morning and evening. She said the cancer disappeared after one month. He then drank loquat seed wine a half ounce daily while eating a macrobiotic diet. He also applied the shiny side of the loquat leaf over the tumor site and did moxabustion over this area daily. The woman spoke of other cancers including liver and pancreatic cancer that were cured following the same regime.

Sine these are incurable cancers, I think it is reasonable that one follow this loquat leaf and seed treatment and macrobiotic for otherwise incurable cancers.

Evidently loquat leaf is a very popular folk treatment not only for cancer but many other diseases in Japan. In fact, she showed me a small book in Japanese called "Natural Remedy" by Yuriko Tojo (1988) that describes various ways to use the loquat both internally and externally for moxa. I think it is highly significant that with Dr. Krebs and the laetrile controversy in the US, the use of loquat leaf on the island of Cyprus for cancer and then its use in Japan not only internally but externally with moxabustion, that there must be something to this remedy. In any case, I happen to be one of those who really enjoy eating loquats and I think the tree which seems to grow in diverse climate zones is very beautiful. It wouldn't hurt for anyone to have their own home loquat tree.

The seeds contain cyanide.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12398304&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

Keith

Hmmm interesting... I had never heard of cyanide in the seeds before. I wonder how much is there and if the seeds need to actually be chewed. My son a few years ago was eating a loquat and accidentally swallowed a seed. He was small then. It passed right through, no problems thank heavens.

The cyanide content in the seed may vary depending on the soil. Many plants concentrate certain metals in their seeds and this may depend on the make up of the soil. I am not a botanist and if anyone has more info that would be appreciated.

Many people around the world eat the seeds on a regular basis. They eat two lo quat seeds per day to cure cancer, extend life with cancer and keep from getting cancer. Edgar Cayce said eating four almonds per day would cure cancer and would prevent one from getting cancer. Almonds, peach pits and lo quat seeds all have cynide which is believed to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Lo quat has the highest amount of cynide. I started eating almonds for this purpose and have now gone to lo quat seeds. I run them through the food chopper and put a teaspoon of them over ice cream every day and have for several months. A welcome side effect is that it has made my 73 year old skin smooth again. Read Edgar Cayce (the sleeping prophet)for more information on eating seeds containing trace amount of cynide. Lo quat fruit also makes a real good wine. I just started a new batch of three gallons today.

I have a huge loquat tree in my backyard. I ate a seed out of curiosty then realized that it may be poisonous. I've gotten mixed results on my, 'am I going to die, internet search. But so far it's been 4 hours and I'm still alive.

I've read the posts where people believe that eating the kernels inside certain hard shells is poisonous. Before anyone believes this I suggest you research and do some digging. I grind 10-12 raw organic apricot kernels in my grinder and add them to my fruit smoothie every morning and have been doing this for about a year. I am not dead and it does not make me sick (I will say I started out slowly and worked my way up to 10-12 kernels a day - which didn't take me very long to do and I never once got sick doing it). Just know that procssed kernels lose their B17 so I only buy organic and raw.

Unfortunately, there is more information about apricot kernels, cherry bark, apple seeds, etc... that is absolutely wrong, misleading and quite frankly, meant to direct people in the direction of illness rather than a cure and/or prevention for cancer or sickness. There is no money in curing cancer, only in treating it.

Here is a link to a man that made news by curing his cancer with apricot kernels and apple seeds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmkkwBTqVPc

Here is a link to a documentary called "A World Without Cancer" http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4312930190281243507# (Do yourself or someone you know or love a favor and watch this video)

- and - before you beleve people like "quackwatch" just know before hand who your listening to: http://www.anh-europe.org/news/quackbuster-stephen-barrett-md-loses-appeal-and-leaves-home-town

My mother had colon cancer 2 years ago and has been taking the apricot kernels for about a year as well and has never felt better. Don't be fooled by large pharmaceutical companies and the FDA that is run by the same corporations that they supposedly regulate. Treating cancer is a trillion - yes, trillion dollar a year industry - and curing cancer would destroy it! Besides, pharmaceutical companies cannot patent an apricot kernel or apple seed. Again, do yourself a favor and look into what I'm saying! You will always hear people saying its dangerous, don't do it, etc..... Find out for yourself! Now I'm off to drink my organic wild cherry bark tea!

They are full of CYANIDE. Highly poisonous except is sometimes used for medicinal uses. There are some syrups that derive from the loquat but those are all from the fleshy part.They can also be used to treat cancer.

You would have to eat about three pounds of loquat nuts a day to be harmed. Pacific Island people eat (don't swollow hole. They just come out the other end) about two seeds a day to prevent cancer and other health benefits. There are different ways to prepare them so they don't taste so bitter.

I have seen roasted apricot kernels being sold in a health food store. They are considered edible, but eating a whole bag of kernels in one day can result in mild poisoning. I think the kernels come from a special variety of apricot.
Yes, cyanide is very poisonous, but in very small amounts amygdalin gives almonds their characteristic flavor. This is particularly true of bitter almond paste.

Several seeds are slightly toxic...

As with anything else take with caution and enjoy. I have used the fruit mostly for pies and sauces. I have also used the whole fruit dried like a spice in my cooking. Great for heavy stews etc. I don't de-pit for drying as spice and we're still alive and healthy! I have yet to use it for the famous Italian liquor or the leaf tea. I have experimented with the pits in letting them sit in a tiny amount of sugar/water solution and there seems to be a sap that eventually comes out. Does anyone know what it contains and if it is useable in any way?

They are poisonous

Wow. Reviewed list of posts I started and came across this way old thread. Was originally just asking about this as food. Unfortunately all the medicinal follow up posts are hitting much closer to home now.

Interested in how all the previous posters are doing in regards to consuming these (or any other parts of the loquat) for medicinal purposes. Thanks.

I have used the syrup and the dried loquats as spicing and I still have had no advers reactions. Not sure of how well it suits as a medicine. I will try the ground up seed soon and let everyone know... Perhaps in 30 years, when I'm 90, I can tell you more about it. :)

Sandra what kind of syrup are you making and how? From the loquat seeds? I’m in the process of making some loquat jelly and thought I’d boil some of the seeds to give a little more flavor to the jelly.

Yes,