Soursop, also known as Graviola, is a tropical evergreen fruit packed with several compounds. It contains antioxidants and minerals that are beneficial to human health, including calcium, phosphorus, and a trace of iron.
Tropical soursop fruits benefit human health in ways other than cancer treatment, energy boost, and bone health maintenance. Some of the health benefits of soursop are listed below.
1. Helps in Cancer Treatment
An impressive benefit of Soursop fruit is that it helps in cancer treatment; studies have shown that the extracts from Soursop have proven to be a solution to breast and liver cancer cells.
Soursop contains quite an impressive amount of acetogenins, an anti-cancer agent that has proved to have a therapeutic effect on cancer treatment. Still, it comes with a limitation as it has a neurotoxicity effect.
It can help treat cancer, and it might also damage the brain cells or nervous systems due to exposing the body to toxins (either natural or artificial).
2. Normalizes Blood Pressure
One of the natural anti-oxidant in Soursop is phenols which have many benefits to human health. In many parts of the world, this fruit is used to normalize blood pressure to reduce hypertension.
And the phenol content of the fruits is said to be a major factor that contributes to these effects, and not only that, but it can also reduce inflammation.
3. Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Soursop fruits are rich in anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants that help to suppress oxidative damages and promote gastric health and are also said to contain anti-ulcer properties.
Many studies that have been conducted on the anti-inflammatory properties of this fruit have yielded positive results, as it has a great impact on bites, and injuries which could lead to inflammation or swelling.
In this case, it is not just the fruits that can help alleviate inflammation but also the soursop leaves, roots, juice, and bark. Can use this effect to reduce pains and swelling caused by arthritis, rheumatism, and others and function as an analgesic.
4. Induces Better Sleep
Tryptophan in Soursop functions as aromatherapy that the body needs to make niacin and serotonin to produce better sleep.
Good for those who have sleeping disorders like insomnia, not having enough sleep, and others, as a daily intake of this fruit will help bring your nearer and nearer to a night of better sleep.
In the Caribbean, soursop is widely known to induce better sleep. The fruits and leaves are effective for sleep and will help relieve you of other sleep issues.
5. Relaxes the Muscles
Certain substances in Soursop can make the muscle and the whole body feel relaxed after eating it.
Soursop can help reduce swelling in the muscles and joints. The nutrients in soursop can be found in both the leaves and fruits.
6. Lowers Harmful Cholesterol
Soursop fruit contains monosaturated fats that help lower harmful cholesterol in the body and moderate blood pressure.
It helps in balancing out high fats, which we might have accumulated from high fats diets. It helps reduce the cholesterol level in the body – the bad cholesterol or Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL).
The leaves of the soursop plants are said to have hypocholesterolemic properties, which helps in the effective reduction of bad cholesterol in the body, such can prevent heart problems and others.
7. Helps Treat Fever
In some parts of the world, such as in India and most parts of Africa, soursop has been locally used to treat ill-health conditions like fever and related conditions like the body’s hotness, diarrhea, malaria, dysentery, and seizures.
The leaves are most effective in this kind of treatment; most, times it is better to bring out the vital nutrients in the substances and take them orally accordingly.
Effective in treating fever and other associated symptoms and is widely practiced in the mentioned places to treat such conditions effectively.
8. Improve the Skin
Additionally, the seeds of Soursop can be reduced to fine particles and used as skin astringents to treat body wrinkles and aging lines on the body. Applying this substance to the skin can reduce skin-related problems like skin papilla and prevent you from getting them.
The content of vitamin C in the fruits, as well as other natural antioxidants, makes it good for the skin as well, as it makes the skin look smooth and healthy whilst removing the free radicals on the skin which can cause adverse effects like sunburn, wrinkles, spots, rashes and more.
Generally, soursop is good for all, the children and babies, men and women, not only for their skin but also for the hair as it is used to treat hair itching caused by dandruff, dry hair, etc., and as well improves its texture.
9. Improves Vision
Soursop contains many vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and Vitamin A, which occur in beta-carotene. The vitamins act as antioxidants in the body as they help reduce the risk associated with the eye.
They help minimize the oxidation effects/stress in the body, resulting in inflammation and other health conditions, thereby preventing the chances of getting cataracts and other eye problems such as macular degeneration.
10. Helps in Infection Treatment
It has been tested and proved that soursop could treat infections in the body caused by a parasite, bacteria. Parasite-induced used disorders such as leishmaniasis can be get from sandflies. The bite is one of the infections which soursop has shown to be positive. All parts of the tree have proved to be effective in the treatment of many health conditions.
In this case, the leaves of the soursop tree are also effective in treating infection, which is easily squeezed to bring out the liquid extract of the leaves, which is medicinal and can be taken either orally or applied to the skin (infected area).
11. Reduces Blood Sugar Levels
Diabetic patients avoid lots of foods and fruits, which ordinarily would have provided them with enough nutrients. They exclude them from their dietary plans. Still, it may be due to their abilities to increase their blood sugar level.
And fortunately, soursop is one of the fruits that help reduce the blood sugar level and is highly recommended for diabetic patients and is well good for everyone as it will help minimize the chances of having a high blood sugar level.
Recently proved research that soursop can reduce blood sugar as they were treated with soursop during the experiment show much improvement in the blood levels in terms of reduction than the other rats.
This research and more have proved that soursop is a good anti-diabetic agent.
12. Helps in Weight Loss
Soursop is one of the fruits which can help you reduce weight fast, and it has been researched to help in weight loss as the experiment on rats was proven effective.
Soursop fruit can help in this, but the leaves are more effective for losing weight and make most green tea.
As much as it is good for weight loss, it is not generally good for everyone, especially those taking it for its other benefits, as it can cause drastic weight reduction.
What is Soursop?
Soursop is a tropical fruity which has a thick prickly flesh with a sweet, sour taste. The fruits are native to the Caribbean and the Americas. They are now widely grown in many countries globally, most notably in Asia and African countries.
How to consume Soursop
Soursop can be eaten in different ways according to one’s choice, but most commonly, it is eaten in its raw form due to its flavor and savory taste.
It can be used as a smoothie or added to one. You can also use it to make soursop milkshakes, ice creams, beverages, and juice.
Medicinal use of Soursop
In many parts of Africa and India, traditional medicine practitioners use soursop fruit in treating some sicknesses such as parasitic infection, hypertension, fever, and others.
Therefore, consuming soursop help to boost the immune system and prevent the body from contracting the diseases mentioned above and some others.
Downside of Soursop
Soursop leaves and roots are beneficial except for the seed and bark (in few cases), which is advised not to be ingested as it can lead to or promote Parkinson’s disease. Resulting in muscle stiffness and, in most cases, comes with involuntary movements.
Result of the content of annonacin which is one of the neurotoxins found in soursop.
Despite its ability to alleviate many ailments, the soursop bark can still lead to other health conditions. Due to its hydrocyanic acid content and even muricine can cause inflammation of the eyes and lead to cancer.
Pregnant women should refrain from taking soursop due to its content of toxins, which might be bad for fetal development and growth.
Conclusion
There are phytonutrients present in Soursop that contain antioxidants that contribute to the overall enhancement of human health. In addition, a decoction of Soursop leaves is used to control feverish symptoms and convulsive seizures. All parts of Soursop, including the leaves, fruits, and extracts, are favorable to health.
READ MORE: What Are The Benefits Of Eating Coconut? – Find Out Here!
FAQs
What are the benefits of soursop?
Soursop is high in vitamin C, an antioxidant known to boost immune health. It also promotes the destruction of free radicals. Soursop helps improve constipation by slowing down digestion while also maintaining blood sugar levels.
What is soursop called in English?
Officially known as Annona muricata, soursop is native to South America and a fruit of many names. You might also hear it called guanabana, graviola or custard apple.
Can you eat soursop raw?
Soursop can be eaten in different ways according to one’s choice, but most commonly, it is eaten in its raw form due to its flavor and savory taste.
What are the side effects of soursop?
It may cause nerve changes and movement disorders. The nerve changes may cause symptoms like Parkinson’s disease. Laboratory research has found that some substances in graviola can cause nerve damage.
