Graviola Chemotherapy Treatment

Graviola is an herb most commonly found in the Amazon rain forest that manufacturers refine into an extract. It has various properties, and has recently been used in the treatment of cancer. Research was conducted in 1998 by the National Institutes of Health that suggests it is "antitumorous."

Graviola Background

• Graviola is a stout tree that grows to about 16 feet in height and has dark green, shiny, leaves. It grows indigenously in warmer tropical climates, like South America. It is a fruiting tree and produces fruit that are about 6 to 9 inches in length. The exterior of the fruit is green with white flesh inside. The fruit is edible and known as Cherimoya. Herbalists grind the leaves and stem into a powder and sell it in the form of 600-milligram tablets.

Herbal Properties

• Graviola has many "bioactive compounds" and "phytochemicals" that assist the body in fighting disease. Specifically, the extracts are antibacterial against various pathogens. More importantly, graviola is an "annonaceous acetogenin." In the simplest terms, this means it has antitumorous and antiprotozal capabilities. Its antitumorous properties are most notable because they assist in shrinking tumors.

Curative Properties

• The largest drawback with chemotherapy is that it kills both cancer cells and tumors, while greatly debilitating healthy cells, causing havoc on the body. Studies conducted at the National Institutes of Health confirm that acetogenins have antitumorous properties, providing further support of using graviola as an alternative or supplement to chemotherapy treatment. Additionally, annonaceous acetogenins discriminately inhibit cancer cell growth and inhibit tumor cell growth that is typically resistant to adriamycin (a chemotherapy drug).

Warnings

• In 1997, the National Cancer Institute conducted a plant screening study, indicating that graviola is a vasodialator (widens blood vessels) and is a cardio-depressant. You should check with your doctor before taking graviola. Graviola may also increase your dopamine levels and it lowers serotonin levels, and should not be taken if you have a propensity toward depression. High doses of graviola may induce vomiting, and you should consume plenty of water while taking graviola.

Drug Interactions

• Herbalists warn that since graviola is an ATP (the energy source for cells) inhibitor, its effectiveness decreases when taken with supplements that increase ATP production. It may interfere with MAO-inhibitor drugs and may reduce the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs. Graviola's effectiveness decreases if a person with low blood pressure takes medication to treat that malady.