NOT ONLY A "CANCER CELL KILLER"

Besides being helpful to fight against cancer, Guyabano may also help with other conditions and diseases. 

Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder where the patient remains to have high blood sugar levels because the body is not able to produce insulin (type 1 diabetes), or the (pancreatic) cells in the body does not react to the produced insulin (type 2 diabetes).Adeyemi et al (2010) studied the effects of the extracts of Guyabano on diabetes mellitus. Thirty rats were divided in three groups; a control group, a group of rats with induced diabetes and a group of rats with induced diabetes and treatment of Guyabano extracts. After the treatment the pancreatic cells were examined and the group treated with Guyabano resulted in more pancreatic cells compared to the untreated group. These results suggest that Guyabano may help in the regeneration of pancreatic cells, and therefore in the treatment against diabetes.

The same research group of Adeyemi et al (2008) also did a study where they examined the effects of Guyabano extracts on the blood sugar levels of induces diabetic rats. Results showed that the rats with induced diabetes had an average blood sugar level of 21.64 mmol. The rats with induced diabetes and which were treated with Guyabano extracts showed an average blood sugar level of 4.22 mmol. This is a decrease in elevated blood sugar levels of five times. The Guyabano extracts shows in this study again that it may be useful for patients with diabetes.

A different research group, Adewole et al (2008), treated induced diabetic rats with Guyabano extracts and examined the tissues involved with diabetes. Results show, as well as the research group mentioned above, that Guyabano extracts led to a decrease in elevated blood sugar. Additionally, they found that Guyabano may also have protective and beneficial effects on the tissues involved with diabetes.

Pain and inflammation

In animal models the effects of Guyabano extracts were investigated regarding to pain and inflammation. After giving oral doses of Guyabano extracts to mice, Vieira de Sousa et al (2010) recorded the reaction time of the mice on a hot plate. The mice which received the Guyabano extracts showed an increase in reaction time compared to the control mice. This means that it took longer for the Guyabano treated mice to feel the hot plate, and that the Guyabano can help reduce pain or reduce sensitivity to painful stimuli.

Additionally, the same research group treated mice with swollen paws with Guyabano extracts. When paws are swollen, there is an excess of fluid in the paws and there is indication that there is inflammation in the paws. At a site of inflammation, immune cells (leukocytes) migrate or move to this site. This treatment resulted in a smaller volume of paws and a reduction of immune cell migration. From this there can be concluded that Guyabano extracts can also have anti-inflammatory properties.

Antibacterial effect

Vieira et al (2010) investigated the antibacterial effects of Guyabano extracts on bacteria. They found that Guyabano extracts worked against the following bacteria: Staphylococcus Aureus and Vibrio Cholerae. S. Aureus is a bacterium which can lie on the skin and cause skin infections (such as pimples), or more life threatening diseases like pneumonia. Cholerea is a bacterium which causes cholera. The symptoms of cholera are diarrhea and vomiting.

GUYABANO AND BLOOD PRESSURE

Animal studies have shown that Guyabano can have hypotensive activities, which means that it can result in an abnormal low blood pressure. Guyabano can also be used as a vasodilator (widening of the blood vessels, resulting in a lower blood pressure). Caution should therefore be taken when using Guyabano, especially when you have a low blood pressure, or if you take antihypertensive drugs (blood pressure lowering drugs).

High blood pressure (hypertension) is a major risk factor when it comes to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Guyabano may be helpful to reduce the blood pressure. In the West-Indies a research group investigated this on rats. All rats had a normal blood pressure and Guyabano was administered to the animals. Chukwuemeka et al. found that the blood pressure in these rats reduced significantly in a dose-dependent way.1

This may indicate that Guyabano may also reduce the blood pressure in humans. However, this has not been researched yet. All research at this moment on Guyabano is done on cell lines (in vitro) or on animals.

Guyabano may be useful to treat a high blood pressure, but take caution when you have a normal blood pressure. A blood pressure which is too low (hypotension) is not healthy and can even be dangerous.

References