Originally published August 31 2009
Graviola Shows Promise in Cancer Cures and Arthritis
by Melanie Grimes
(NaturalNews) Graviola, or Annona muricata, is a tropical fruit that has been found to have amazing healing properties. Also called soursop guanababa, or pawpaw, the Graviola fruit, leaves, bark and roots have been used as sedatives in folk medicine. Native South American healers used the tree to heal liver, asthma, heart problems as well as arthritis. Research on Graviola has shown good results in test tube studies, but there have been no clinical trials on animals or humans, even though the plant shows remarkable healing potential. The plant grows in South and Central America and has been cultivated for its healing properties for over three thousand years.
The first modern-day research on Graviola was conducted in 1976 by the National Cancer Institute, though the plant has been under investigation since the 1940s. Their findings reported that the leaves of the Graviola plant were effective in destroying malignant cancer cells. Tests at Perdue University on cancer cells of prostate, pancreas and lungs have all shown results. Twenty further studies investigated the chemical effects of the Graviola in laboratory tests, but tests on animals or humans are needed to confirm the results. A Korean study found that Graviola killed colon cancer cells better than a chemotherapy drug called Adriamycin. Graviola results were ten thousand times stronger than the chemotherapy. And, unlike chemotherapy drugs, Graviola did not damage any cells except the carcinogenic cells. This means that there would likely be no hair loss or nausea as side effects from using Graviola as a treatment for cancers.
In the traditional folk medicine of Graviola seeds are used to help eliminate parasites. In Guyana, the leaves are used as both a sedative and a heart tonic. Brazilians drink Graviola tea for relief of liver problems, and apply the oil from the seeds to relieve arthritis and rheumatism. In Jamaica and the West Indies, the fruit is eaten to reduce fevers and to treat diarrhea.
The active ingredients in Graviola are called Annonaceous acetogenins. These substances have shown strong anti-tumor effects in test tubes, and what is more promising is that small doses seem to have great effect. Research using one part per million has shown results.
There are over two thousand varieties of plants in the Annonaceae species worldwide, many of which may provide additional sources of useful medicines for mankind. It is hoped that further research will enable this plant, used for millennium in folk medicine, to find its rightful place in modern science and global healing.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8760865
http://www.pawpawresearch.com/purdue-mdr-97....
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400299/gravio...
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/1492/anno...
http://www.rain-tree.com/graviola.htm
About the author
Melanie Grimes is a writer, award-winning screenwriter, medical journal editor, and adjunct faculty member at Bastyr University. She also teaches homeopathy at the Seattle School of Homeopathy and the American Homeopathic Medical College.
A trained homeopath, she is the editor of the homeopathic journal, Simillimum, and has edited alternative and integrative medical journals for 15 years. She has taught creative writing, founded the first Birkenstock store in the USA and authored medical textbooks.
Her ebook on Natural Remedies for the Flu is available at:
http://melanie-grimes.blogspot.com/2009/04/b...
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