But does soursop tea live up to the hype or is it just another supplement with dodgy evidence? To find out, we spoke to medical professionals to find out everything you need to know about soursop tea.
What is soursop tea?
Soursop is a fruit of many names. You might know it by soursop, cherimoya, guanabana, brazilian paw paw, custard apple, or the technical term Annona muricata. It’s a fruit that grows in tropical locations in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia that looks kind of like a spiky avocado on the outside and a stark white passionfruit on the inside. The fruit itself tastes a little like pineapples and strawberries with the creamy consistency of a banana. Soursop is often served in juices or ice cream, and frankly, sounds pretty tasty. But the fruit itself isn’t making news. Soursop tea is made from the leaves of the fruit (also known as graviola) and has a fairly mild flavor. Outside the U.S., the tea has been used for medicinal purposes for years. Recently, Americans have been turning to the tea for a variety of medical reasons.
What can soursop do?
“Some studies have found that soursop has several positive immune system properties,” says Ashley Wood, RN, BSN, and author of Demystifying Your Health. “It’s high in antioxidants, which help neutralize harmful compounds (free radicals) that can cause damage to cells.” In a comprehensive medical review of Soursop, one study found that the tea helped heal wounds in rats while another laboratory study found it protected against DNA damage. Another study found that soursop reduced inflammation, kind of like a slightly less powerful dose of ibuprofen. Further studies found that the tea decreased blood sugar in diabetics and worked as a natural antimicrobial agent. Graviola may help treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia, according to a study from the University of Seville. Plus, there’s evidence that it helps lower blood pressure and can treat herpes. It sounds like soursop can do everything. But these claims are based on limited scientific evidence and studies that were mostly performed in a lab or on rats. Sadly, just because a diabetic rat got a little better doesn’t mean it’ll work the same way with humans. And there are some potentially serious side effects that we’ll get to soon.
What can’t soursop do?
Cure cancer. To be fair, no one’s claiming that soursop tea cures cancer, but there are significant claims on the internet that the tea will help fight and kill cancer cells. This idea does actually have roots in some scientific evidence. “A study from Purdue University found that annonaceous acetogenins from graviola could inhibit the growth of some cancer cells in a laboratory based experiment,” says Dr. Ceppie Merry PhD FRCPI, medical graduate from Trinity College and faculty at Northwestern Medicine. Unfortunately, one study is not enough to prove that an herbal medicine is effective. “Even worse, the Purdue study used the leaves of a related tree in Florida and not pure South American graviola,” Dr. Merry says. Most soursop tea comes from South American plants, so the fact that the specific iteration wasn’t studied doesn’t bode well for its claims. In addition to the Purdue study problems, most of the studies around soursop are lacking. “There are only 113 published studies on graviola and none have been human clinical trials,” says Dr. Merry. “We have no idea as to whether graviola would work or even be safe in humans.” Despite the lack of evidence, graviola is promising. But when it comes to a disease as serious as cancer, it’s not safe to suggest any treatments that have no real scientific backing. Or as Dr. Merry says, “I think it would be irresponsible to recommend graviola at present.”
Are there any soursop side effects?
It’s easy to think that, despite the lack of human trials, soursop tea might be worth a try. So many people claim health benefits, so what’s the worst that could happen? Well, with graviola, the worst is pretty severe. “Some of the studies found that the seeds contain annonacin, a neurotoxin that may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s disease,” says Wood. Even without ingesting the seeds, the tea itself might do some harm. “It may cause nerve damage and movement problems, especially with long-term use,” says Wood. “In addition, soursop may be toxic to the kidneys or liver with repeated use.” According to Cancer Research UK, a study of Caribbean citizens found that those who ate the most soursop were the most likely to develop nerve changes and start hallucinating. Some studies found that soursop tea may cause toxicity to the brain and nervous system. Even if you risk these side effects to fight cancer, the Cancer Treatment Centers of America says that the tea could reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy. If you’re still considering graviola, there are a few conditions that should definitely stop you from taking the tea. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center says that it’s best to avoid graviola if you are taking blood pressure or diabetic medications. In rat studies, soursop reduced blood pressure and sugar. Though that sounds great, it can cause an unfortunate interaction if you’re already taking medicine for those conditions. If blood pressure or sugar gets too low, it’s a bad thing, and graviola might make that happen. Now, these worries aren’t backed up by human studies, but there’s enough concern for a major cancer center to warn against the herbal remedy.
Should I drink soursop tea?
Probably not. Though soursop has promise, there’s not enough evidence to support the claims and too many incredibly serious side effects to give this a thumbs up. Even if you’re tempted to try it for the antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory properties, be careful and consult your doctor before you grab a supply of tea bags. Potential nerve damage may not be worth the possible positives. It’s possible that with human trials, soursop could become part of a treatment fight cancer cells. But at the moment, it’s a dangerous thing to suggest. Learn how to brew the perfect cup of tea.
Sources
Ashley Wood, RN, BSN, and author of Demystifying Your HealthDr. Ceppie Merry PhD FRCPI, medical graduate from Trinity College and faculty at Northwestern MedicineOxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity: “Anti-cancer properties of Graviola"University of Seville: “Extract from soursop leaves can prevent symptoms of fibromyalgia”
