Linamarin is a cyanogenic glucoside found in the leaves and roots of plants such as cassava, lima beans, and flax.

Upon exposure to enzymes and gut flora in the human intestine, linamarin and its methylated relative lotaustralin can decompose to the toxic chemical hydrogen cyanide; hence food uses of plants that contain significant quantities of linamarin require extensive preparation and detoxification.

Ingestion of food prepared from insufficiently processed cassava roots with high linamarin levels has been associated with dietary toxicity, particularly with the upper motor neuron disease known as konzo to the African populations in which it was first described by Trolli and later through the research network initiated by Hans Rosling.

[2] Dietary exposure to linamarin has also been reported as a risk factor in developing glucose intolerance and diabetes, although studies in experimental animals have been inconsistent in reproducing this effect[3][4] and may indicate that the primary effect is in aggravating existing conditions rather than inducing diabetes on its own.

Research efforts have developed a transgenic cassava plant that stably downregulates linamarin production via RNA interference.