Herb & supplement monograph

Graviola Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Graviola interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Graviola is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Graviola is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Reviewed by licensed pharmacists Sourced from Natural Medicines

On this page

Graviola Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Graviola drug interaction appears low for most people. Only a single interaction has been documented, it is rated moderate rather than major, and it rests on animal research rather than human studies.

Interactions deserving the most attention

The one combination that stands out involves carbamazepine (Tegretol), a medication used to control seizures. In a study in rats, graviola extract lowered the amount of carbamazepine in the body by a meaningful degree. Because carbamazepine works within a fairly narrow range, and lower levels could in theory weaken seizure control, we think people taking it should treat this pairing with extra caution even though the effect has not been confirmed in humans.

What the rest of the list means

It is worth understanding that this concern is still theoretical. The finding comes from animal research, and no human studies have shown that graviola actually changes carbamazepine levels in people. Beyond this one medication, graviola has no other documented interactions, which is a notably short profile compared with many supplements.

Check your medications against Graviola

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Graviola interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Graviola

1 medication has a known interaction with Graviola, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.

Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Graviola using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Graviola interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
Possible. Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Graviola combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Graviola affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Graviola is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 1 drug category Graviola interacts with

Carbamazepine (tegretol)

Carbamazepine (Tegretol)

Theoretically, graviola might decrease concentrations of carbamazepine when used concomitantly.
A study in rats shows that graviola extract reduces the area under the curve of carbamazepine by 46% and maximum concentration by 35% when compared with carbamazepine alone.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Monograph

Graviola: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Graviola (soursop) is a tropical fruit tree whose leaves, fruit, and bark are used in traditional medicine, especially in parts of South America, Africa, and Asia. Despite popular online claims that it fights cancer, there is no reliable human evidence that it treats or cures any disease, and animal research raises concerns that it may harm nerve cells. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Scientific name: Annona muricata
Family: Annonaceae
Part used: Leaves, fruit, bark, seeds, and roots
Common forms: Tea, capsules, tinctures, fruit pulp, and juice

People commonly use it for

Cancer support (unproven)
Infections
Inflammation
High blood pressure
Digestive complaints
Diabetes

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Human safety data are limited, and lab studies raise concerns about possible nerve toxicity with long-term use.

PregnancyPossibly Unsafe

When used orally.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingPossibly Unsafe

When used orally.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Graviola comes from Annona muricata, a small evergreen tree that grows in warm, tropical regions of Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The fruit is often called soursop and is eaten fresh or used in drinks, ice creams, and candies.

In traditional medicine, nearly every part of the plant is used, including the leaves, fruit, bark, seeds, and roots. People have brewed the leaves into teas and made other preparations for a wide range of complaints. Today graviola is sold as a supplement in capsules, teas, and tinctures, often marketed with bold and unproven health claims.

How it works

Graviola contains a group of natural compounds called acetogenins, along with alkaloids and antioxidant plant chemicals. In laboratory studies, acetogenins can interfere with how cells produce energy, which is one reason researchers have studied them for possible effects on cancer cells.

Other proposed actions, such as lowering blood sugar, reducing inflammation, fighting microbes, and relaxing blood vessels, are mostly based on test-tube and animal research. These early findings do not prove that the same effects happen in the human body. Importantly, some of the same compounds have been linked to nerve damage in laboratory and population studies.

Effectiveness

Does Graviola work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 10 uses evaluated

10 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

For Graviola, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 10 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Bladder cancer