Are apple cores poisonous or healthy? Debunking some myths

It is up to you whether you eat the core of your apple — though some people choose not to, fearing it may be poisonous.

That's only partly true, says Germany's Centre for Nutrition (BZfE).

Apple cores, or more specifically the seeds, contain amygdalin, a cyanide-and-sugar based molecule which is converted into hydrogen cyanide — a highly poisonous substance — by the digestive system, the BZfE explains.

But the substance is only released if you bite into the seeds, and only lethal if you eat very large quantities of them.