Graviola tree ( Annona muricata ) produces a delicious fruit which is widely consumed by indigenous peoples. The fruit and the leaves of graviola are used in traditional medicine for their tranquillizing and sedative properties. For more graviola information.

Graviola, formulated by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

This graviola product is 100% pure ground natural plant material.

Graviola Supplement Facts:
Graviola - 500 mg *
   ( Annona muricata ) leaf & stern           

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Subscribe to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Twice a month we email a brief abstract of several studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics, and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D. We will discuss graviola cancer research as more information becomes available.

Suggested Use:  As a dietary supplement, take 1 graviola capsule daily or as directed by a health care professional. Take breaks from use, for instance one week off per month.
* Graviola daily value not established

What's in Graviola?
There are quite a number of compounds in graviola with exotic and long names. Some of these include acetogenins, muricins, and many others.

Graviola and Cancer
Although laboratory research with graviola and cancer looks promising, little is known about the role graviola supplements would play in human cancer prevention or treatment. Therefore, at this point, the role of graviola and cancer in humans in unclear. Mangosteen is an herb that has xanthones and may have anti cancer potential.

Graviola Extract
Some companies sell a graviola supplement extract, but whether a graviola extract offers benefits beyond that of regular graviola whole powder is not known.

Graviola and Parkinson's disease - is annonacin a neurotoxin?
Atypical parkinsonism in Guadeloupe: a common risk factor for two closely related phenotypes?
Brain. 2007 Mar;130(Pt 3):816-27. Epub 2007 Feb 15. 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 (PSP). 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; define the neuropsychological and brain imaging features of these patients; (iii) 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. Neuropsychological tests and MRI were used to classify the patients into those with Parkinson's disease (31%), Guadeloupean PSP-like syndrome (32%), Guadeloupean parkinsonism-dementia complex (PDC, 31%) and other parkinsonism-related disorders (6%). Consumption of soursop was significantly greater in both PSP-like and PDC patients than in controls and Parkinson's disease patients. 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.

Graviola studies
Proximate composition and selected physicochemical properties of the seed, pulp and oil of sour sop (Annona muricata - graviola ).
Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2002 Spring;57(2):165-71.
Proximate composition and physicochemical analyses were carried out on the seed, pulp and extracted oil of sour sop ( graviola ). The results showed that the graviola seed contained 8.5% moisture, 2.4% crude protein, 13% ash, 8% crude fiber, 20% fat and 47% carbohydrate. The graviola seed also contained 0.2% water soluble ash, 0.79% titratable acidity and 17.0 mg calcium/100 g. The graviola pulp was found to contain 81% moisture, 3.43% titratable acidity and 24.5% non-reducing sugar. Selected physicochemical characteristics included refractive indices of 1.335 for the graviola seed and 1.356 for the pulp, pH values of 8.34 for the graviola seed and 4.56 for the pulp, and soluble solids contents of 1.5 degrees Brix for the graviola seed and 15 degrees Brix for the pulp.

Effect of the extract of Annona muricata ( graviola extract ) and Petunia nyctaginiflora on Herpes simplex virus.
J Ethnopharmacol. 1998 May;61(1):81-3.
Annona muricata (graviola) and Petunia nyctaginiflora (Solanaceae) were screened for their activity against Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) and clinical isolate (obtained from the human keratitis lesion). We have looked at the ability of extract(s) to inhibit the cytopathic effect of HSV-1 on vero cells as indicative of anti-HSV-1 potential. The minimum inhibitory concentration of ethanolic extract of graviola and aqueous extract of P. nyctaginiflora was found to be 1 mg/ml.

Toxicity of Annonaceae for dopaminergic neurons: potential role in atypical parkinsonism in Guadeloupe.
In the French West Indies there is an abnormally high frequency of levodopa-resistant parkinsonism, suggested to be caused by consumption of fruit and infusions of tropical plants, especially Annona muricata ( graviola ). To determine whether toxic substances from this plant can cause the neuronal degeneration or dysfunction underlying the syndrome, we exposed mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons in culture to the total extract (totum) of alkaloids from Annona muricata root bark and to two of the most abundant subfractions, coreximine and reticuline. After 24 hours, 50% of dopaminergic neurons degenerated with 18 microg/ml totum, 4.3 microg/ml (13 microM) coreximine, or 100 microg/ml (304 microM) reticuline. The effects of the alkaloid totum were not restricted to the population of dopaminergic cells since GABAergic neurons were also affected by the treatment. Nuclei in dying neurons showed DNA condensation or fragmentation, suggesting that neuronal death occurred by apoptosis. Cell death was not excitotoxic and did not require toxin uptake by the dopamine transporter. Neurodegeneration was attenuated by increasing the concentration of glucose in the culture medium, which also reduced the effect of the dopaminergic neurotoxin MPP+, a mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitor. Toxin withdrawal after short-term exposure arrested cell death. Acute treatment with totum, coreximine, or reticuline reversibly inhibited dopamine uptake by a mechanism that was distinct from that causing neuronal death. GABA uptake was not reduced under the same conditions. This study suggests that alkaloids from graviola can modulate the function and the survival of dopaminergic nerve cells in vitro. It is therefore conceivable that repeated consumption could cause the neuronal dysfunction and degeneration underlying the West Indian parkinsonian syndrome.

Cytotoxicity and antileishmanial activity of Annona muricata pericarp - graviola.
Fitoterapia. 2000 Apr;71(2):183-6.
Hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Annona muricata pericarp ( graviola ) were tested in vitro against Leishmania braziliensis and L. panamensis promastigotes, and against cell line U-937. The ethyl acetate graviola extract was more active than the other extracts and even of Glucantime used as reference substance. Its fractionation led to the isolation of three acetogenins--annonacin, annonacin A and annomuricin A. Graviola research.

Graviola fruit concerns
As you can read in detail in the research updates above, there is a concern that consuming the graviola fruit for prolonged periods (many years in a row or perhaps a lifetime) may increase the risk for a form of Parkinson's Disease. This is not known for certain at this time but to be cautious, it would be best to take holidays from use of graviola and not eat the fruit for months at a time without a break.

Graviola supplement questions
Q. Can I take graviola supplement with Prostate Power Rx? If yes, how do I should combine them?
   A. There are no simple answers since this combination may be fine with one person but not for another. It is a good idea to first learn how you feel from each one separately and then when combined use no more than one capsule of Prostate Power Rx and half a capsule of graviola supplement.

Q. A friend of mine purchased a bottle of graviola supplement and on the bottle the contradictions are for Parkinson's and antihypertensive. What are the effects of someone taking the graviola if they are hypertensive and it is controlled. I found information on the web regarding graviola and Parkinson's but not for graviola usage and Hypertension. My friend if anxious to start taking the graviola pill.
   A. We are not aware of graviola supplement influencing blood pressure to any great degree. As with most supplements and herbs, the lowest effective dosage should be used and taking a break for a day or two a week is a good idea.

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