Graviola cancer treatment and prevention, benefits, side effects,
toxicity, safety and supplement dosage, how effective are these pills for cancer
prevention or treatment?
Annona muricata
Graviola has been found in in vitro studies to have anti cancer potential. In Guadeloupe graviola fruit is eaten regularly and there is concern that consumption of this fruit on a regular basis for years and decades can lead to a Parkinsonian-like syndrome.
Botanical name
Annona muricata is the botanical name. It is also known as soursoup.
The fruit
Soursop (Annona muricata L.) is a highly aromatic fruit with white juicy flesh
and native to tropical North and South America. The ripe fruits are highly
perishable, as they become soft and easily bruised.
Graviola supplement dosage
Graviola supplements are sold over the counter in health food stores, online,
and in some pharmacies. Graviola supplements are not expensive.
A typical graviola capsule has between 400 to 600 mg of graviola powder. Here
are some products on the market that you can purchase:
Graviola (leaf) (powder) 375 mg
Graviola Soursop ( Annona muricata ) ( Leaf ) 500 mg
Graviola leaf and steam (soursop) 500 mg by Physician Formula, this is a
reliable brand and is available on their website.
Graviola (Annona muricata) in a vegetable capsule (500 mg)
Human studies
Unfortunately, as of March 2010, human studies with graviola as a treatment for cancer have not
been published. Despite the lack of human studies with graviola in terms of cancer prevention
or treatment, many websites promote graviola supplements to cancer patients
based on traditional use and promising results of in vitro studies.
Liver cancer
Q. My Aunt has stage 4 Liver cancer. Do you think that graviola supplement pills can help her?
A. It is not possible for us to predict since we have not
seen human studies regarding the benefit of this herb for hepatic cancers.
Graviola side effects, caution, safety and toxicity
The benefits and side effects of graviola herbal supplements are not fully
understood. Graviola may sometimes cause sleepiness or relaxation. Atypical
parkinsonism in Guadeloupe has been associated with the consumption of fruit and
infusions or decoctions prepared from leaves of graviola, which contain
annonaceous acetogenins, lipophilic inhibitors of complex I of the mitochondrial
respiratory chain.
Atypical parkinsonism in Guadeloupe: a common risk factor for two closely
related phenotypes?
Brain. 2007 Mar; Lannuzel A, Höglinger GU, Verhaeghe S, Gire L, Belson S,
Escobar-Khondiker M, Poullain P, Oertel WH, Hirsch EC, Dubois B, Ruberg M.
Department of Neurology, Hospital of Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, F.W.I.
In Guadeloupe, there is an abnormally high frequency of atypical parkinsonism.
Only one-third of the patients that develop parkinsonian symptoms were reported
to present the classical features of idiopathic Parkinson disease and one-third
a syndrome resembling progressive supranuclear palsy. The others were
unclassifiable, according to established criteria. We carried out a
cross-sectional study of 160 parkinsonian patients to define more precisely the
clinical phenotypes of the PSP-like syndrome and the parkinsonism that was
considered unclassifiable in comparison with previously known disorders; and
evaluate to what extent a candidate aetiological factor, the mitochondrial
complex I inhibitor annonacin contained in the fruit and leaves of the tropical
plant Annona muricata (soursop) plays a role in the neurological syndrome.
In conclusion, atypical Guadeloupean parkinsonism comprises two forms of
parkinsonism and dementia that differ clinically by the presence of oculomotor
signs, but have similar cognitive profiles and neuroimaging features, suggesting
that they may constitute a single disease entity, and both were similarly
exposed to annonaceous neurotoxins, notably annonacin.
Antioxidant
Extracts of graviola possess potent in vitro antioxidant activity.
Molluscicidal activity
An ethanolic extract of the leaves of graviola is toxic to adult forms of the
snail Biomphalaria glabrata and to larvae of the brine shrimp Artemia salina.
Composition
Acetogenins, annonacin (90%), isoannonacin (6%) and goniothalamicin (4%).
Acetogenins, such as annonacin, might be implicated in the etiology of
Guadeloupean parkinsonism when the fruit is consumed for several decades.
MALDI-TOF MS profiling of annonaceous
acetogenins in Annona muricata products for human consumption.
Molecules. 2009 Dec 15. Champy P, Guérineau V, Laprévote O. Laboratoire de
Pharmacognosie, CNRS UMR 8076 BioCIS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris-Sud
11, Rue J. B. Clément, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France.
Annonaceous acetogenins are proposed as environmental neurotoxicants consumed
through medicinal and alimentary habits and responsible for atypical
parkinsonian syndromes observed in tropical areas. Potential sources of exposure
still have to be determined, as, to date, only a few batches of products for
human consumption were searched for these compounds. To assess the presence of
acetogenins, we propose a fast, sensitive and accurate method of screening,
using MALDI-TOF MS, with minimal sample preparation. Development of the
technique is discussed. Its application to leaves of herbal tea, pulp and
bottled nectar of Annona muricata is presented.
Questions
In November of 2008 i was operated on for colon cancer. I now have a colostomy
bag and started chemo 2 weeks ago. i have had very few if any side effects from
the chemo. thank goodness. I have been studying the effects of graviola on colon
cancer and like what i read. I would appreciate your thoughts on graviola and
can it be taken in conjunction with chemo.
Since human research is not available regarding the role of
this plant and its extract on various human cancers, it is not possible at this
time, in June 2009, to say whether this supplement is useful as an anti-tumor
agent and whether it works well with chemotherapy.
Can
sulforaphane from broccoli extract be used together with graviola herbal
extract for cancer therapy?
We have not seen such studies with this combination, but it
is intriguing.
I have ordered 500 grams of graviola from
Raintree Nutrition, Carson City, NV. I was curious if there was a way to
determine that the product that I received is in fact derived from the Graviola
tree? Worked in clinical research most of my adult career in Los Angeles, My
partner has developed an aggressive from of prostrate cancer. Would like to
administer this as a prophylaxis against metastasis.
The only way to know is to send a sample to a lab that does HPLC
testing.