Short answer
No. There is no clinical evidence that soursop (graviola) cures or treats cancer. Soursop extracts and compounds called acetogenins have killed or slowed some cancer cells in laboratory dishes and animal experiments, and reviews call for human studies, but no completed human trial shows it works. In a large study of people with curable cancers, choosing alternative medicine alone was associated with about 2.5 times the risk of death compared with standard treatment. [1] [2] [3]
Key takeaways
- Lab results are not clinical evidence. A compound that kills cells in a dish may fail in animals, and most that work in animals fail in people.
- A review of 49 soursop studies found anticancer work was the biggest category (25%), nearly all of it in cells and animals. [4]
- A systematic review of soursop's safety and tolerability concluded that studies in people with cancer are warranted, which means they have not yet shown a benefit. [2]
- Skipping standard treatment for an herb carries a measurable risk: in a 2018 study, alternative medicine alone was associated with a hazard ratio of 2.50 for death, and 5.68 in breast cancer. [3]
- Herbs can interact with chemotherapy. Tell your oncology team about anything you take. [5] [6]
If you or someone you love has cancer, you may have seen soursop (graviola) described online as a natural cure. We understand why that idea is powerful. We also would not want anyone to make a decision about treatment based on a social media clip.
We sell soursop leaf for tea, and we say plainly: it is not a cancer treatment. This page lays out the evidence so you can see exactly why.
Short answer: does soursop cure cancer?
No. No clinical trial has shown that soursop leaf, fruit, tea or extract cures or treats cancer in people. What exists is laboratory and animal research, which is a starting point for science, not a result for patients.
What is the difference between laboratory research and clinical evidence?
| Type of evidence | What it is | What it can tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Cell studies (in vitro) | Cancer cells grown in a dish are exposed to an extract or a purified compound | The compound is biologically active in cells. Not that it works in a body. |
| Animal studies | Mice or rats given a dose | Whether it is worth testing further. Many animal successes do not carry over to people. |
| Human trials | People with cancer are randomly assigned to a treatment or comparison and followed | Whether it actually helps people, and at what risk. |
Soursop's cancer research sits almost entirely in the first two rows.
What soursop research has found
A 2022 review gathered 49 studies of Annona muricata published from 1981 to 2021. By share of studies, anticancer activity was the most common focus (25%), followed by antiulcer (17%) and antidiabetic (14%) work, and most of it was tested in vitro or in animals. [4]
A 2018 review in Carcinogenesis described the potential of graviola and its acetogenins, the compound family thought responsible for much of the plant's activity, against cancer cells and inflammation, and stressed that attention to safety studies would be important. [1] Purified compounds from the plant have shown effects on specific cancer cell lines, such as endometrial cancer cells [7] and prostate cancer cells. [8]
A 2020 systematic review that searched for studies of any design on the safety and tolerability of soursop leaf extract concluded that the dose and duration used in animal studies demonstrating toxicity may not directly translate to humans, and that future studies investigating its use in people diagnosed with a range of cancers are warranted. [2] In other words, the question of whether it helps people has not been answered.
Why a plant can fight cancer cells in a dish and still not be a treatment
- Dose: the concentrations used on cells may be impossible to reach in a body, or toxic if reached.
- Absorption: a tea may deliver little or none of an active compound to a tumor.
- Selectivity: many substances kill cancer cells and healthy cells alike.
- Safety: soursop contains annonacin, which harmed nerve cells in lab and animal studies, and Annonaceae herbal tea has been linked to worse parkinsonism in patients. [9] [10]
Plants have given medicine some of its most important cancer drugs. A review of cancer drugs approved from 1981 to 2002 found 62% were of natural origin. [11] But those drugs were purified, standardized, tested in large human trials and dosed precisely. A cup of leaf tea is none of those things.
Replacing cancer treatment with herbs is dangerous
A 2018 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute looked at 281 patients with non-metastatic breast, prostate, lung or colorectal cancer who chose alternative medicine as their only anticancer treatment, and compared them with 560 matched patients who received conventional treatment. Alternative medicine alone was associated with a greater risk of death (hazard ratio 2.50, 95% CI 1.88 to 3.27), and the gap was larger in breast (5.68), colorectal (4.57) and lung (2.17) cancer. The authors noted that this use is rare, but it is associated with worse survival for curable cancer. [3]
Can herbal products interfere with cancer treatment?
Yes, some can. Herbs contain biologically active compounds, and cancer patients use herbal supplements more often than the general population. Reviews describe how herbs can change the way the body absorbs and clears drugs (pharmacokinetics) or add to their effects (pharmacodynamics), which is especially important with chemotherapy because the margin between dose and toxicity is narrow. [5] A review of clinically significant interactions identified six herbal products with documented interactions with chemotherapy in humans: echinacea, garlic, ginseng, grapefruit juice, milk thistle and St John's wort. [6] Soursop was not among them, but that reflects a lack of study, not proven safety.
The simple rule: tell your oncology team and your pharmacist about every herb and supplement you take, including teas.
If you still want to drink soursop tea
- Talk to your clinician first, especially if you are being treated for cancer or take any medication.
- Treat it as an occasional tea, not a daily habit, because of the annonacin findings.
- Avoid it if you have Parkinson's disease or any parkinsonism.
- Buy whole leaf with the botanical name Annona muricata and an honest label.
Our soursop guide covers benefits, preparation and the neurological caution in detail, and you can view the product. We make no medical claims, and these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Frequently asked questions
Does soursop cure cancer?
What does scientific research say about graviola and cancer?
Have soursop leaves been studied in humans?
A systematic review of soursop leaf safety and tolerability found the evidence mostly in vitro and animal studies and called for studies in people with cancer. We found no completed trial showing it treats cancer. [2]
What is the difference between laboratory research and clinical evidence?
Laboratory research tests substances on cells or animals. Clinical evidence comes from trials in people. A substance can work in a dish and fail in a person.
Are there risks associated with drinking soursop leaf tea?
Can herbal products interfere with cancer treatment?
Are there herbs that cure cancer?
No herb has been shown to cure cancer. Some cancer drugs come from plants, but they are purified, dosed and proven in clinical trials. [11]
What happens if I choose herbs instead of cancer treatment?
A 2018 study found that people with curable cancers who chose alternative medicine alone had about 2.5 times the risk of death compared with those who had conventional treatment. [3]
References
- Qazi AK, Siddiqui JA, Jahan R, et al. (2018). Emerging therapeutic potential of graviola and its constituents in cancers. Carcinogenesis. PubMed 29462271 · DOI
- Chan WJ, McLachlan AJ, Hanrahan JR, et al. (2020). The safety and tolerability of Annona muricata leaf extract: a systematic review. J Pharm Pharmacol. PubMed 31659754 · DOI
- Johnson SB, Park HS, Gross CP, et al. (2018). Use of Alternative Medicine for Cancer and Its Impact on Survival. J Natl Cancer Inst. PubMed 28922780 · DOI
- Mutakin M, Fauziati R, Fadhilah FN, et al. (2022). Pharmacological Activities of Soursop (Annona muricata Lin.). Molecules. PubMed 35208993 · DOI
- Yeung KS, Gubili J, Mao JJ (2018). Herb-Drug Interactions in Cancer Care. Oncology (Williston Park). PubMed 30334243
- Fasinu PS, Rapp GK (2019). Herbal Interaction With Chemotherapeutic Drugs-A Focus on Clinically Significant Findings. Front Oncol. PubMed 31850232 · DOI
- Yap CV, Subramaniam KS, Khor SW, et al. (2017). Annonacin Exerts Antitumor Activity through Induction of Apoptosis and Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase Inhibition. Pharmacognosy Res. PubMed 29263632 · DOI
- Foster K, Oyenihi O, Rademan S, et al. (2020). Selective cytotoxic and anti-metastatic activity in DU-145 prostate cancer cells induced by Annona muricata L. bark extract and phytochemical, annonacin. BMC Complement Med Ther. PubMed 33302945 · DOI
- Champy P, Höglinger GU, Féger J, et al. (2004). Annonacin, a lipophilic inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I, induces nigral and striatal neurodegeneration in rats: possible relevance for atypical parkinsonism in Guadeloupe. J Neurochem. PubMed 14675150 · DOI
- Cleret de Langavant L, Roze E, Petit A, et al. (2022). Annonaceae Consumption Worsens Disease Severity and Cognitive Deficits in Degenerative Parkinsonism. Mov Disord. PubMed 36210778 · DOI
- Gonzales GF, Valerio LG (2006). Medicinal plants from Peru: a review of plants as potential agents against cancer. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. PubMed 17017852 · DOI