soursop tea

Graviola Tea Questions and Answers

This is your ultimate guide to graviola tea. Note that graviola tea is the same as soursop tea and the term is used interchangeably.

This is your ultimate guide to graviola tea. If you have a question about graviola tea, then send us a question and get an answer back via email using the link at the bottom of the page.

Soursop Tea Questions and Answers

Here are our most asked questions about graviola tea (sometimes referred to as soursop leaf tea) and their answers:

1) What is is graviola tea? Is it the same as soursop tea?

Graviola tea – which is the same as soursop tea (soursop is also called graviola), is a preparation of dried soursop tree leaves. Shredded soursop leaves are soaked, or steeped, is hot or boiling water, resulting in a slight greenish beverage that is quite pleasant and soothing to drink.

2) What does graviola tea look like when prepared correctly?

Soursop tea can vary in color from a lime green color to a dark brown. The color will get darker the longer the leaves are steeped in hot water.

3) What does graviola tea taste like?

Graviola tea has a mild herbal flavor that, to some people, tastes like a cross between green tea and vanilla. It is not bitter, but it can get stronger the longer the leaves are steeped.

4) Is graviola tea made of graviola fruit?

No soursop tea is made from shredded or ground dried leaves from the soursop tree. Typically the leaves are plucked from the soursop tree, air dried, and then sold whole or shredded or in some cases, they are ground into coarse powder (like matcha tea). Sometimes it is put into tea bags for convenience.

5) What kinds of graviola tea products are there?

Graviola tea comes in a variety of different products: They include:

  • Whole graviola leaf
  • Shredded dried graviola leaf
  • Graviola leaf (ground) sold in single-serve tea bags.
  • Graviola leaf powder.

5) Where can I buy graviola tea?

You can buy soursop tea from most online retailers, in health food and supplement stores, and at Soursopstore.ca (Canada) and SoursopStore.com (USA)

6) Does graviola tea contain caffeine?

There is no caffeine in soursop tea. Read more here.

6) How many calories are in graviola tea?

Soursop tea typically contains zero calories, unless other ingredients or additives are added. Soursop fruit contains 148 calories per cup. Read more here.

7) How do I prepare graviola tea?

soursop tea preparation guide

You can download a free copy of our soursop tea preparation guide which explains how to prepare soursop tea for cancer patients as well as for people who want to consume it for other uses, including casual consumption.

8) How often should you drink graviola tea?

Experts say a cup each day that contains one to two tea bags (or 2-3 whole soursop leaves)  is ideal for those that want to consume soursop as a health tool. Y

This soursop/graviola tea guide may be useful.

8) Can graviola tea cure cancer?

The medical community reports there is no fully conclusive evidence that soursop can cure cancer.

There is an often-quoted study published by Purdue University that shows it has cytotoxic (cell-killing) effects.

Click to read more about the soursop research findings

Full clinical research (studies on people) on soursop and its anti-cancer effects would have to be conducted to show conclusive proof.

Regardless, people who consume soursop tea and fruit as an anti-cancer remedy have issued testimonials praising the health value of consuming soursop.

Again, these claims would need to be supported by further medical research to be proven true by the medical community.

9) Can graviola tea help fight bacterial infections?

There have been lab studies that soursop extracts have an anti-microbial effect. See one such study here posted in the Journal of Clinical and Scientific Research 

10) Can Graviola tea be used against viral infections such as herpes?

Graviola (soursop)…”is considered an alternative treatment for herpes, but the supporting evidence is still not complete. A 2012 study showed anti-herpes activity with graviola in the laboratory.

12) Does graviola have anti-inflammatory effects?

MedicalNewsToday.com (MNT) reports that: “According to a 2014 study on rodents, graviola has anti-inflammatory properties that may relieve pain. The study’s researchers supported graviola’s use as a folk remedy for pain and inflammatory conditions.”

MNT also reports: “According to a 1999 study, graviola extract may have antiviral effects against herpes simplex 2 virus (HSV-2). HSV-2 is responsible for most cases of genital herpes outbreaks. In vitro, graviola was toxic to HSV-2 cells. In vitro means outside a living body.”

See more here.

13) Can graviola lower blood pressure and blood sugar 

It is suggested that soursop has blood-sugar reducing and blood-pressure-lowering effects. According to CancerResearchUk.org, “Studies on animals found that graviola (soursop) may lower blood sugar and blood pressure. Talk to your doctor first before taking graviola if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.”

14) What is the active ingredient in graviola tea?

Graviola is rich in antioxidants, which it is believed help keep people healthy. They include tannins, saponins, phytosterols, flavonoids, anthraquinones.

It also contains phytochemicals called annonaceous acetogenins (AGEs), which studies show have cytotoxic properties. This means it can kill cells, including cancer cells in tumors.

15) Does eating graviola fruit or drinking the tea have any side effects?

Over-consumption of large quantities of graviola and long-term use can induce side effects including:

    • Nausea
    • Vomiting
    • Nerve damage and movement problems
    • Neuropathy that leads to Parkinson-like symptoms, such as tremors or stiff muscles.

15) Can I drink graviola tea sweetened with sugar, honey or other sweetener

Yes, graviola tea can be sweetened with sugar, honey or other sweetener. The fruit is often used as part of desserts and sweetening soursop products can enhance their flavour.

That said, it is recommended by health professionals that those with cancer reduce their sugar consumption. Read more here.

16) Where can I ask a question about graviola not answered here? 

Send an email to [email protected]. We will do our best to answer your questions. This will help us improve this post.

Fresh soursop (top)and Freeze Dried soursop (bottom)

Freeze Dried Soursop – Everything you wanted to know

Freeze dried soursop is a rare and usually food product indeed. As more and more people discover the wonderful benefits of soursop fruit and soursop leaves they start wondering what other foods come from the tropical fruit tree. The answer is freeze dried soursop fruit.

So what is freeze dried soursop fruit?

It is the soursop fruit pulp dried using a desiccating process called freeze-drying.  A low-temperature dehydration process is used on food products to remove water – it involves freezing the product, lowering pressure, then removing the ice by sublimation (ice turns into gas). This is in contrast to dehydration using heat to remove water. The freeze dried end product is pieces of soursop pulp that look like popcorn or chips. It is dry, crunchy, and sweet. But yet the freeze-drying process retains 99% of the nutrients compared to the fresh product.

Why do people eat foods made from the soursop tree, including its fruit and leaves?

The most famous compounds found in the tree. It is called acetogenin compounds (AGEs). Acetogenins block nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which is part of the membrane of cancer cells. Soursop has high concentrations of AGEs, found is in its fruit, stems and leaves.

Soursop fruit also contains many minerals, including calciummagnesium, and iron. In one cup of the fruit (or about 1/8 of a cup of freeze dried soursop) provides 46.4 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C in one cup of soursop pulp, which is over half the recommended daily amount for adults. For context, women need 75 mg of vitamin C per day, and men need 90 mg.

Advantages of  freeze dried soursop fruit

One of the challenges with soursop fruit is that it only grows in tropical and sub-tropical climates. You might see a soursop tree in Florida in the U.S., but even then it’s rare. The tree is very sensitive to temperature so if it gets cold enough to see frost on the ground then it means that a soursop tree will not thrive in that environment even if the rest of the year temperatures are in the 80s and 90s (25 to  35 C).

soursop fruit on tree

Soursop fruit on a tree in Malaysia

So the fruit has to be grown in the tropics. However, that means it is grown in South America, the Caribbean, and equatorial Asia (like Malaysia) and Africa. Soursop is a large fruit and it is heavy with water. It also has a thick green spiny skin. So shipping it in its fresh form can be expensive.

The advantage that freeze dried soursop fruit has is that the water is removed in the freeze drying process. Freeze-drying process and so it is light like a chip and crunchy too. So it is much cheaper to ship.

Where can I buy freeze dried soursop fruit?

You can buy freeze dried soursop fruit from specialty food suppliers like SoursopStore.com in the U.S. and from SoursopStore.ca in Canada.

soursop leaves

Soursop leaves and fruit on a farm in Malaysia

If you have ever wondered how soursop grows, here’s documentary evidence from a visit our family made to the farm where we have been buying soursop leaves and soursop tea bags for more than three years for our stores at soursopstore.com (USA) and soursopstore.ca (Canada).

You’ll see below that soursop is both a large green fruit and the tree it is grown on. Some people call it graviola. The graviola tree and graviola fruit is the same thing as soursop. Just a different name. Same fruit and same plant.

Here is a gallery of our visit to the farm which is located in south Malaysia in the hills of Johor province. Across the strait is Singapore.

 

globe

Where is Guanabana (soursop) used?

Guanabana leaves can be harvested from the graviola tree, a tall tropical evergreen tree that grows 15 to 18 ft (5 to 6 meters) in height.

The guanabana leaves produce a large heart-shaped edible guanabana fruit that is 6 to 9 inches long. The inedible skin is yellowish green in color. Inside is white flesh dotted with 3/4 inch black or brown seeds.

You can find the fruit in most of the warmest tropical areas in South and North America including the Amazon, the Caribbean and Mexico. It also grows in south Florida.

It can also be found in local markets in the tropics.  Sometimes, guanabana fruit is referred to as soursop, custard apple, custard pear, paw paw, or sometimes Brazilian cherimoya.

What is the guanabana fruit used for in the kitchen?

Guanabana fruit is excellent for making drinks, ice creams and frozen desserts. Though it can be slightly sour and acidic, as it ripens, it can be eaten raw.

All parts of the Graviola tree are used in natural medicine, including bark, leaves, roots, fruit and seeds. Different properties and uses are attributed to the different parts of the tree.

What is guanabana used for in natural medicine?

The guanabana fruit and fruit juice can be eaten to treat worms and parasites, to cool fevers, to increase mother’s milk after childbirth. It is also used to treat diarrhea and dysentery.

The crushed guanabana seeds are used to treat internal and external parasites and worms.

The bark, leaves and roots can be used as a sedative, as an antispasmodic, to lower blood pressure and to calm nerves. A guanabana leaf tea is consumed for those purposes.

History of guanabana in regional natural medicine

Guanabana has a long rich history of use in herbal medicine, and among indigenous peoples in the tropics.

Peru

You find  that a tea from the guanabana leaf is used for mucus reduction in the Peruvian Andes. The crushed seeds of the fruit are used to kill parasites. In the Peruvian Amazon the bark roots and leaves are used for diabetes and as a sedative and antispasmodic.

Guyana

Indigenous tribes in Guyana use a leaf or bark tea of guanabana as a sedative and heart tonic.
Brazil

In the Brazilian Amazon, the guanabana leaf tea is used for liver problems and the oil of the leaves and unripened fruit is combined with olive oil. It is used externally for neuralgia, rheumatism and to treat arthritis pain.

Jamaica and Caribbean islands

In the Caribbean, especially in Jamaica, Guanabana fruit and its juice have long been used to treat:

  • Treat fevers
  • Fight parasites
  • To bring in mother’s milk.
  • To ease diarrhea.
  • To soothe anxiety
  • Natural medicine usage for cancer
  • Plus, the bark or leaves can be used as an antispasmodic, as a sedative, and to soothe nerves.
  • It is also used for heart conditions, coughs, difficult childbirth, asthma, asthenia, and hypertension.

Annonaceous Acetogenins

Annonaceous Acetogenins

Within the 212 compounds that were isolated from different parts of the plant, acetogenins (AGEs) were reported to be the major phytochemicals, followed by alkaloids and phenols (). These secondary metabolites were first isolated from multiple parts of plants belonging to the Annonaceae family in 1982 by Tempesta, and acetogenins were further determined to have toxicity towards the P-388 lymphocytic leukaemia in mice (). Since then, more than 120 AGEs have been identified from ethanol, methanol or organic-based extracts from different parts of the plant, ranging from the leaves and the seeds () to even the fruit’s outer skin.

AGEs were later determined to be metabolites that can be distinguished by the presence of a methyl-substituted α,β-unsaturated γ-lactone (). Since their discovery, more than 500 AGEs have been discovered from different parts of the plant (). These metabolites were later classified into several groups on the basis of the availability of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and hydroxyl groups, as well as on factors such as the terminal γ-lactone ring and the characteristics aliphatic chain substituents (). On the basis of these characteristics, AGEs can be divided into 10 different types, which include 1) linear AGEs (AGEs without the THF rings), 2) epoxy-AGEs (without THF rings), 3) AGEs with mono-THF α,α′-dihydroxylated γ-lactone, 4) AGEs with a mono-THF α-hydroxylated γ-lactone, 5) AGEs with mono-THF and several lactone moieties, 6) AGEs with a neighbouring bis-THF α,α′-dihydroxylated γ-lactone, 7) AGEs with a neighbouring bis-THF α-hydroxylated γ-lactone, 8) AGEs with a non-adjacent bis-THF γ-lactone, 9) AGEs with a saturated lactone bis-THF and 10) miscellaneous AGEs ().

Multiple forms of AGEs have been studied for their mechanisms that can be used against particular targets, such as insects and tumour cells. Acetogenins have been shown to be very effective against insects and can be used as insecticides and insect repellent. Multiple parts of the plant, including the roots, leaves, unripe fruits and seeds, have been shown to have insecticide and insect repellent properties (), (), (). Against the larva of the moth Plutella xylostella, a pest of cabbage, 5 mg/mL ethanolic extracts of A. muricata leaves were proven to be effective in killing 100% of the larvae tested. Further tests using lower concentrations of the ethanolic extracts even showed an ability to significantly reduce the survival of the larvae population (). Crude extracts from the plant were also shown to be effective against Aedes aegypti, in combination with silver nanoparticles, which makes A. muricata extracts a good candidate to be used to control the spread of dengue fever (). A similar anti-parasitic effect was also observed when methanolic extracts of the seed were used against Entamoeba histolticaMolinema dessetae and Artemia salina, which was later deduced to be due to the presence of acetogenins (). The role of acetogenins in inhibiting the growth of insect larvae was suggested to be due to the THF ring inhibition of the mitrochondrial complex I through NADH oxidase inhibition ().

The capacity of acetogenins to inhibit NADH oxidase was also shown to be important for their anti-tumour function. The inhibition of NADH function is evident, as reported by Morré et al. (1995). The report suggested that exposure to an acetogenin called bullatacin specifically inhibited NADH oxidase enzyme functions isolated from Hela cells as HL-60 cancer cells ().

Acetogenins were also shown to be capable of blocking ATP production in mitochondria. This mechanism of action was shown to be effective against cancer cells that produce higher amounts of ATP in comparison to normal cells, thus limiting the ability of cancer cells to grow (). Interestingly, AGE toxicity was observed in the cancer cells, with a minimal negative impact on the normal cells. Studies using AA mimetics have suggested that acetogenin analogues synthesised in vitro have shown toxicity towards the HCT-8 and HT29 cell lines, with negative toxicity towards the normal human cell line HELF (). Similarly, a study using A. muricata leaf extracts also showed toxicity towards cancer cell lines MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and 4 T1, but less toxicity towards the normal breast cell, MCF10A (), which shows that these AGEs specifically target cancer cells, not normal cells. These observations thus suggest the potential use of AGEs as treatment options against cancer.

Annona muricata and Its Biological Properties against Cancer

A dysfunctional apoptotic pathway is one of the main contributors to carcinogenesis. The inability of cells to execute apoptosis to remove cancer cells was observed in multiple cancer types, including breast, pancreatic, ovarian and colorectal cancers (). This occurrence creates imbalances between cell proliferation and cell death and can be caused by disruptions in the normal functions of the apoptotic pathway. Similar to other types of cancer, failure to carry out apoptosis in breast cancer cells might be attributed to the disruptions within the apoptotic pathway. Defects within the intrinsic pathway, for example, have been associated with the progression of breast cancer. Defects in the regulation of cytochrome release (), apoptosome formation () and caspase activation () have all been shown to be present within breast cancer cells.

The capability of inducing cancer cell cytotoxicity has been one of the main reasons behind the increased interest among scientists in the benefits of CAM, especially plant-based CAMs. A. muricata leaves, among other CAMs, are good candidates to treat cancer caused by viruses. Extracts from A. muricata leaves were shown to have the capacity to induce apoptosis in Hela cells, suggesting that the extracts have the potential to be used as a treatment against virus-induced cancer cells (). Such a potential was also evident in the prevention of skin papillomagenesis in laboratory mice. In this study, ethanolic extracts of A. muricatawere shown to inhibit tumour growth in a two-stage skin papillomagenesis model, as evidenced by the presence of only slight hyperplasia in mice groups treated with A. muricata extracts in comparison to an untreated mice group ().

Breast Cancer

In terms of specific effects against breast cancer, several studies have indicated the potential use of this plant in potential therapeutic treatments in patients. Extracts from A. muricata were shown to inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells by inducing cytotoxic activity in lung cancer cell lines (). Gomes further reported that A. muricata extracts have the most cytotoxic effect when compared to extracts from Lantana camara, Handroanthus impetiginosus and Mentzella aspera. A separate study by Rachman showed that the ethanol extracts of leaves of the soursop plant extracted into ethanol induce cytotoxic activity within the breast cancer cell line MCF7 (). Another study by Gavamukulya also showed that a similar ethanol extract of the soursop plant leaves was found to be highly cytotoxic in vitro against the two human breast cancer cell lines MDA and SKBR3 ().

Liver Cancer

The cytotoxic effect of the plant’s extracts were also proposed by multiple in vitro studies using cultured liver cancer cells, suggesting that they can potentially be used as a treatment option against liver cancer. The growth and viability of the liver cancer cell HepG2 was shown to be inhibited following incubation with an ethanol extract of A. muricata. The cytotoxic effect observed in the HepG2 cell line was suggested to be a result of induction of the apoptosis pathway through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (). In a separate study using a similar cell line, Liu () also demonstrated the capability of A. muricata extracts to induce apoptosis. The study showed that the treatment of HepG2 resulted in the up regulation of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), glucose-regulated protein 94 (GRP94) and protein disulphide isomerase 5 (PDI-related protein 5). A bioinformatic analysis of the up-regulation of these proteins suggested that the treatment of HepG2 cells with A. muricata extracts can trigger the apoptotic pathway by means of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress ().

Prostate Cancer

Graviola leaf extract (GLE), flavonoid-enriched extract and acetogenin-enriched extract (AEF) administered in vivo and in vitro were also shown to negatively affect the proliferation of prostate cancer. A study conducted by Yang () suggested that GLE, FEF and AEF all showed the capacity to down-regulate prostate cancer, with GLE being the most efficient at doing so. This study not only showed the efficacy of A. muricata extracts at inhibiting prostate cancer but also the importance of using whole-leaf extracts to achieve the highest inhibitor efficacy in combating cancer ().

Pancreatic Cancer

A. muricata-induced cytotoxicity in cancer cells has also encouraged scientists to further examine the molecular pathways that lead to such observations. According to a study conducted by Torres (), the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and the phosphatidylinositol 3′kinases (PI3K/Akt) pathways play a crucial role in the proliferation and survival of pancreatic cancer cell, and the inhibition of these pathways leads to the inhibition of pancreatic cell growth. A similar study also revealed that the treatment of pancreatic cancer cells with A. muricata extracts resulted in a decrease in the activation of both ERK and Akt pathways in pancreatic cancer cells. Thus, the inhibition of these pathways is in agreement with the decreased viability of pancreatic cancer cells treated with the plant extract (). Besides that, A. muricata was also shown to inhibit metastasis. A study performed on pancreatic cancer cells by Torres showed that the migratory capacity of pancreatic cancer cells was reduced after treatment with a graviola extract, as evaluated by a transwell assay, suggesting that the natural extract reduces the motility of pancreatic cancer cells. The motility and migration of cancer cells is associated with the arrangements of the cortical actin and microtubules network. Additionally, cellular ATP depletion has been associated with a reorganisation of the actin cytoskeleton and a suspension of the dynamics of microtubules, which is known to induce mitotic arrest. Thus, graviola extracts cause a disruption of the cortical actin network that can inhibit the motility of cancer cells ().

Lung Cancer

Moghadamtousi showed that A. muricata induces apoptosis in lung cancer cells (). This finding was confirmed by high-content screening (HCS) multiple cytotoxicity analyses that examined the characteristics of apoptosis before and after treatment with A. muricata extracts, including nuclear condensation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), cytochrome c leakage and perturbation in membrane symmetry. The analyses showed that A549 cells treated with A. muricata extracts experience inhibition in growth capability as well as up-regulation of the apoptosis pathway.

Colon Cancer

Cancer is a disease caused by cell cycle dysfunction. The ability to block the cell cycle progression in cancer cells can effectively elevate the anti-cancer potential of natural products (). A. muricata extracts, for example, were shown to have the potential to induce G1 cell cycle arrest (). The study also showed that treatments of HCT116 and HT-29 cells resulted in the up-regulation of the apoptotic pathway, as suggested by an increase in the production of ROS, an increase in detectable cytochrome c, and an increase in initiator and executioner caspases in both of the tested cell lines. Furthermore, an increase in the levels of Bax protein was also observed by flow cytometry, which further suggested the activation of the apoptotic pathway ().

Annona muricata Extracts in Conjunction with Conventional Treatment

Despite the various benefits associated with the use of A. muricata extracts in inhibiting cancer cell lines, their usage alongside chemotherapy and radiation therapy has not been explored in such experiments and is in need of immediate attention. However, one cell culture-based study revealed a promising outlook on the potential use of these plant extracts alongside current radiotherapy and chemotherapy methods. The study, conducted at Sebelas Maret University in Indonesia, revealed a synergistic interaction between A. muricataLinn leaves extracts with doxorubicin in reducing the development of Hela cells. In the study, 38.5 μg/ml polyketide derivatives isolated from the plant were shown to have a synergistic effect with every concentration of doxorubicin used during the treatment of Hela cells ().