What do naturopaths say about graviola?

In the book The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs, author Leslie Taylor gives an expert opinion on the health benefits of graviola from a naturopathic perspective.

Taylor is a cancer survivor who overcame a rare form of leukemia using alternative health and herbal medicine in her mid-20s. She has been researching, studying and documenting alternative healing modalities including herbal medicine for over 30 years. 

• Graviola fruit and fruit juice are consumed to prevent or treat worms and parasites, to manage fevers, to increase breast milk production after a baby is born. It is also used to treat diarrhea and dysentery.Here are some key highlights about graviola from her book:
• Crushed graviola seeds can be used to combat internal and external parasites, as well as to fight head lice and worms.
• The bark, leaves, and roots are used as a "sedative, antispasmodic, hypotensive, and nervine, and a tea is made for various disorders toward those effects."

How is graviola used against cancer

On graviola use in a fight against cancer, Taylor wrote: 

"Cancer research is ongoing on these important Annona plants and plant chemicals, as several pharmaceutical companies and universities continue to research, test, patent, and attempt to synthesize these chemicals into new chemotherapeutic drugs. In fact, graviola seems to be following the same path as another well known cancer drug – Taxol."

Taxol is an FDA-approved drug that was derived from the bark of the pacific yew tree. It underwent 30 years of research by numerous pharmaceutical companies, universities, and government agencies before it was commercialized.

She wrote: "With graviola, it has taken researchers almost 10 years to successfully synthesize (chemically reproduce) the main anti-tumorous chemical, annonacin.

She said at least one major pharmaceutical company gave up in the  research process, despite "knowing how active the natural chemical was against tumors".

She added: "Cancer patients and health practitioners are not waiting (for drug companies)… they are adding the natural leaf and stem of graviola (with over 40 documented naturally-occurring acetogenins including annonacin) as a complementary therapy to their cancer protocols. "

Graviola uses around the world

On graviola uses around the world, the author writes: 

Peruvian Andes: "Leaf tea is used for catarrh (inflammation of mucous membranes) and the crushed seed is used to kill parasites.

Peruvian Amazon: Bark, roots, and leaves are used for diabetes. They are also used as a "sedative and antispasmodic". I

Guyana: Indigenous people use a "leaf and/or bark tea as a sedative and heart tonic."

Brazilian Amazon: The leaf tea is employed for liver problems. The oil of the leaves and unripe fruit is combined with olive oil. This is applied externally for neuralgia, rheumatism, and arthritis pain.

Jamaica, Haiti, West Indies: The graviola fruit and fruit juice is consumed to treat fevers, parasites and diarrhea. The graviola bark or graviola leaf can be "used as an antispasmodic, sedative, and nervine for heart conditions, coughs, flu, difficult childbirth, asthma, hypertension, and parasites."

Learn more from Taylor's expertise about graviola on this web site.