What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.
Nutrition per serving 1 cup pulp (225 g)
Water182.6 g82%
Sugars30.5 g14%
Fibre7.4 g3%
Protein2.3 g1%
Fat0.7 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
Soursop (Graviola) (Annona muricata) is a fruit used for vitamin c contribution (good source per serving). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Soursop is a low-fat tropical fruit that is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, but human evidence for its widely marketed health claims is weak. Most "graviola" research is in vitro or in rodents, where leaf and fruit acetogenins show anticancer, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activity. The only notable human trial is a small (n=28 completers) 8-week randomized placebo-controlled study in resected colorectal-cancer patients, which found greater ex vivo cytotoxicity with leaf extract while maintaining nutritional status, but did not demonstrate clinical outcomes such as survival or tumor regression. Reviews conclude there is no validated effective or safe human dose and that claims of curing cancer are unsupported. Crucially, the same acetogenins (chiefly annonacin) are mitochondrial complex I inhibitors linked epidemiologically to atypical, levodopa-resistant parkinsonism in Guadeloupe and other high-consumption regions, with supporting rodent mechanistic data. Thus the fruit is reasonable as an occasional whole food, but concentrated leaf/seed extracts and heavy daily intake carry a real neurotoxic signal. Overall the weight of human evidence is preliminary.
Purported Benefits
✓Vitamin C contribution (good source per serving)
✓Dietary fiber for digestive health
✓Potassium contribution
✓Anticancer / cytotoxic activity (lab and one small RCT, no clinical outcomes)
✓Antidiabetic / hypoglycemic and antimicrobial activity (mostly in vitro / animal)
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
About 1 cup (225 g) of fresh pulp as an occasional whole food; concentrated leaf teas/seed extracts are not recommended due to annonacin neurotoxicity
Active Compounds
Annonaceous acetogenins (annonacin, annomuricin E, muricoreacin) - potent mitochondrial complex I inhibitorsVitamin C (ascorbic acid)Isoquinoline alkaloids (reticuline, coreximine, anonaine)Flavonoids & phenolic acids (quercetin, chlorogenic acid)Dietary fiber (soluble + insoluble)PotassiumMagnesiumCarotenoids
Safety & Cautions
⚠
Soursop fruit, leaves, and seeds contain annonacin and related acetogenins, mitochondrial complex I inhibitors associated with an atypical, levodopa-resistant parkinsonism/tauopathy in regions of heavy consumption (Guadeloupe, New Caledonia). An average fruit is estimated to hold ~15 mg annonacin and a can of nectar ~36 mg; chronic daily intake or concentrated leaf teas/seed extracts pose the greatest risk and should be avoided. Seeds are toxic and emetic. May add to the effect of antihypertensive and antidiabetic drugs (additive blood-pressure/glucose lowering). Avoid in pregnancy/breastfeeding and in people with Parkinson's disease or other movement disorders. Not a substitute for cancer treatment. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Soursop (Graviola) with any medicine.
Soursop (Graviola) is most often taken for Vitamin C contribution (good source per serving), Dietary fiber for digestive health, Potassium contribution, Anticancer / cytotoxic activity (lab and one small RCT, no clinical outcomes). Creamy tropical fruit with a neurotoxic caveat
Does Soursop (Graviola) work — what does the evidence say?
Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Soursop is a low-fat tropical fruit that is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, but human evidence for its widely marketed health claims is weak. Most "graviola" research is in vitro or in rodents, where leaf and fruit acetogenins show anticancer, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activity. The only notable human trial is a small (n=28 completers) 8-week randomized placebo-controlled study in resected colorectal-cancer patients, which found greater ex vivo cytotoxicity with leaf extract while maintaining nutritional status, but did not demonstrate clinical outcomes such as survival or tumor regression. Reviews conclude there is no validated effective or safe human dose and that claims of curing cancer are unsupported. Crucially, the same acetogenins (chiefly annonacin) are mitochondrial complex I inhibitors linked epidemiologically to atypical, levodopa-resistant parkinsonism in Guadeloupe and other high-consumption regions, with supporting rodent mechanistic data. Thus the fruit is reasonable as an occasional whole food, but concentrated leaf/seed extracts and heavy daily intake carry a real neurotoxic signal. Overall the weight of human evidence is preliminary.
What is the typical dose of Soursop (Graviola)?
About 1 cup (225 g) of fresh pulp as an occasional whole food; concentrated leaf teas/seed extracts are not recommended due to annonacin neurotoxicity
Is Soursop (Graviola) safe? Any cautions or side effects?
Soursop fruit, leaves, and seeds contain annonacin and related acetogenins, mitochondrial complex I inhibitors associated with an atypical, levodopa-resistant parkinsonism/tauopathy in regions of heavy consumption (Guadeloupe, New Caledonia). An average fruit is estimated to hold ~15 mg annonacin and a can of nectar ~36 mg; chronic daily intake or concentrated leaf teas/seed extracts pose the greatest risk and should be avoided. Seeds are toxic and emetic. May add to the effect of antihypertensive and antidiabetic drugs (additive blood-pressure/glucose lowering). Avoid in pregnancy/breastfeeding and in people with Parkinson's disease or other movement disorders. Not a substitute for cancer treatment.
How many studies support Soursop (Graviola)?
NutriDex cites 10 sources for Soursop (Graviola), graded "Preliminary".
Cite this page
APA
Peh, D. (2026). Soursop (Graviola) (Annona muricata): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 16 Sept 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/soursop
BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_soursop,
author = {Peh, Daryl},
title = {Soursop (Graviola) (Annona muricata): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
url = {https://nutridex.info/s/soursop},
note = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-09-16}
}
For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.