Graviolas are sold in many Caribbean, Asian and Hawaiian markets. You can also find them on-line and, as a dietary supplement, they can also be found at health food stores as dietary supplements – in capsules and tablets.

A Useful Medicine?

Although it is valued for its medicinal use in many parts of the world, only in the past two decades has graviola gained the attention and serious interest of integrative medical practitioners, nutritionists and patients battling chronic disease. The fruit, leaves, twigs, bark and even roots of graviola can all be utilized in natural treatments, but its most active ingredient, the phytochemical Acetogenin, is concentrated in the leaves.

Graviola is known to be a diuretic and a sedative, and is used as a remedy for cough, migraine headaches, insomnia, back pain, infections and herpes. The leaves are reportedly effective against head lice and bedbugs. Cancernetwork.com cites its benefits in fighting parasites, stomach ailments, fever, hypertension, rheumatism and depression.

Testimonial after testimonial of the plant’s cancer-fighting abilities abound on the Internet and in alternative health circles, but supporting data from the medical establishment and the mainstream media is limited.

However, the renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) on its website does share various studies that have been conducted, mostly outside of the U.S., on the medicinal benefits of graviola. In the studies, the plant was found to have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-diabetic, anti-ulcer, anti-viral, antimicrobial and yes, anti-cancer uses. In animal studies, graviola extracts have been shown to be potent against breast, lung, colon, prostate, pancreas, liver and skin cancers, as well as leukemia.

Those interested in self reliant living, take note. Delicious, nutritious and possibly even life-saving. It doesn’t get much better than that, right?

To learn more about this beneficial fruit go on over to Off the Grid News.

Inside the USA they can also be found in Southern Florida. They flower and fruit best when temperatures are around 78 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity within 70 to 80 percent.

Give ‘em a try!