[Article updated on 19/09/2023]
Soursop is a fruit made up of 80% water. He is known for his high content of numerous trace elements and vitamins. Among these, we can cite B vitamins, vitamin C, carbohydrates, proteins, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium and even copper. If it is so rich, it necessarily arouses interest for the pharmaceutical industry and especially for your body which will find there an excellent source for its daily intake. But if the soursop is known, it is above all for its many benefits on the body and in particular the fight it helps to wage against cancer. In this article, I give you a quick overview of everything this wonderful fruit can offer.
Before reading on
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am passionate about nutrition and health.
The articles you’ll find on my site are the result of in-depth research that I’d like to share with you. However, I would like to stress that I am not a health professional and that my advice should in no way replace that of a qualified physician. I’m here to guide you, but it’s important that you consult a professional for specific questions or medical concerns. Your well-being is important. So be sure to consult the appropriate experts and take the best possible care of yourself.
A little reminder of what soursop is
Soursop is an exotic fruit grown mainly in South American countries. However, it can also be found in other tropical regions. Madagascar and Reunion Island are examples. The fruit comes from the soursop tree which has therapeutic virtues scientifically proven. Depending on the region, the tree also takes the name Graviola or Guanabana. In traditional medicines, all parts of the tree can be used and not just the fruit. The same goes for natural medicine: the bark, roots, fruits, soursop leaves and seeds are all beneficial to your health. Generally, it is consumed in the form of soursop juice.
Unlike other fruits such as pineapple or lemon, soursop is not one of the best fat burners but has other virtues.
The fruit, the one that interests me here, is green in color and covered with thorns and is vaguely reminiscent of the prickly pear, with the difference that its flesh is white and very pulpy. The latter contains fructose as well as minerals, vitamins (B and C), amino acids and alkaloids. Be careful though, the black seeds are not edible.
As a powerful natural antioxidant, it has anti-cancer properties. According to research, the leaves of the tree can destroy cancer cells like chemotherapy, but more effectively and without the side effects like hair or weight loss. This plant also ensures the cure for breast, intestinal, ovarian, liver and lung cancer. Furthermore, a simple soursop juice treatment prevents all types of cancer.
The composition of the fruit
Given its high carb content, it is not surprising that soursop is first considered as a food in its own right by the populations who cultivate it. Having good nutritional values, it allows these populations to live and have a good intake. Especially since its weight can be around 4 to 5 kg, which makes it a significant source. Although the fruit is mainly composed of water, it is nonetheless rich. In short, it is above all a food which is often consumed in the form of juice extracted from its white flesh. It must nevertheless be rid of its black grains known to be indigestible.
Lthe properties of the fruit
Given the richness of the elements that compose it, it is easy to imagine that soursop displays many virtues. therapeutic and medicinal. And this is the case: it is at the same time a powerful diuretic, an excellent hypotensive agent and a formidable regulator of the body’s functions. Indeed, it is used to purify the liver or to maintain the balance of blood sugar levels. Which is interesting for people with diabetes. On the other hand, soursop can also be part of a treatment against sleep disorders, depression or even stress. Its antimicrobial properties make it a barrier effective against bacterial attacks, fungal or parasitic. On the digestive level, it facilitates transit and constitutes a particularly effective antispasmodic.
Risks and toxicity of graviola
The presence of acetogenins and certain alkaloids, suspected of neurotoxicity, must necessarily make you think about its use. In particular, if it is repeated or regular and it is done internally. Likewise, pregnant or breastfeeding women are recommended to refrain from consuming graviola. This is based on the precautionary principle.
As you will read later, soursop is beneficial for the body. However, it must be consumed in moderation. In the long term, it can put you at risk of Parkinson’s disease. In populations who eat it regularly (because of their eating habits), it has been shown that said disease is more frequent. However, people in cultivating and eating are not necessarily subject to other more important factors which could lead to its appearance. But, in France, the price of graviola is high, it is unlikely that you will buy too much. The link between excessive consumption of soursop and Parkinson disease have been established.
The benefits of soursop
#1 Soursop juice in the fight against cancer
The benefits of soursop on cancer patients has been scientifically proven. No less than 20 research laboratories in the United States under the coordination of pharmaceutical companies have carried out tests. All these studies have demonstrated that soursop has a real positive impact on the development of cancer. Indeed, extracts taken from soursop, in the form of soursop juice or other, will attack carcinogenic cells and destroy them. This juice can be purchased in drugstores or online.
These extracts from soursop only attacks cancer cells sparing healthy ones. There is therefore a natural targeting that takes place. Following studies carried out by different laboratories, we can determine that graviola fights effectively against a dozen different types of cancer, including:
- of colon
- of the tits
- of the prostate
- of the lungs
- of pancreas
By way of comparison with current treatment methods, there is no common measure. In fact, soursop extracts are 10,000 times more effective than products used in chemotherapy. This difference is calculated based on the observed slowing down and degradation of cancer cells during treatment.
#2 Graviola against diabetes
As I already said above, soursop helps maintain and regulate glucose levels at a stable level. Which prevents blood sugar spikes. Here, acetogenin plays a role.
This benefit has been scientifically proven through a study published by the journal of traditional medicine and food supplements. The study in question focused on two series of rats suffering from diabetes, one group of which was only fed soursop extracts for two weeks. As for the others, they were subjected to another type of treatment. At the end of the observations, the first group fed soursop had reached a glucose level close to normal. Brought back to humans, this tends to prove that the consumption of graviola can help diabetics. You can also consume it in the form of an infusion of soursop roots and leaves in cases of diabetes or spasms.
#3 Soursop against digestive disorders
The soursop serves as gastric bandage when added with a little honey. This mixture has an immediate effect against stomach pain. Eat it three times a day, after meals. Likewise, you will feel much better if you consume soursop leaves or the extract obtained from it when you suffer from diarrhea or bloating.
Soursop through its anti-bacterial properties which make it possible to effectively fight against intestinal parasites. It is the latter that cause bloating and diarrhea. Furthermore, through the water and fibers that this fruit contains, it promotes intestinal transit.
#4 Soursop against herpes
On another note, soursop will help you if you suffer from herpes. Indeed, soursop leaf extracts have numerous antiviral, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. By consuming it, you can effectively fight against parasites and certain viruses that attack your body.
Its extracts are used in healing patients with herpes and many other viruses. If you regularly consume soursop, you will protect your body from viral and bacterial damage.
Likewise, he is perfect in wrestling against eczema and other forms of skin redness. This is another application of soursop leaves. The best thing about using these leaves is that they do not have the adverse side effects that most of them have. topical steroids, which help the skin to get better. The most effective being when they are used for prolonged periods. To combat eczema, simply make a poultice of soursop leaves and apply it to the areas of the body affected by eczema.
#5 Soursop leaves against rheumatism
Rheumatism affects all populations to varying degrees and of all ages. It is difficult to fight against it except through symptomatic treatment. An example is humidity-related rheumatism. It is not uncommon to meet seniors in our latitudes who suffer from this type of problem and who have no solution. Traditional medicine also suffers from this lack of solution. The best remedy is to move to more lenient environments such as the Mediterranean basin. Once settled there, rheumatism disappears like magic thanks to the dry and hot weather. The other possible solution is to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
However, an excellent way to treat rheumatism is with the help of soursop juice, a natural remedy that has amazing anti-inflammatory properties. For example, simply boil a few soursop leaves and apply them as a poultice so that the pain eases. The sheets can be purchased directly in specialized stores or on the internet
In the same vein, there is what we call drop. It is a condition characterized by inflamed and painful joints, especially the joints of the feet and hands. Consuming herbal tea made by boiling soursop leaves can help relieve this condition. Because it helps remove uric acid from the blood, the main cause of this condition.
#6 Fight urinary infections
The main cause of gout, urine takes its own path. It is also not uncommon for this circuit to be inflamed or suffer from infection. Let’s talk about cystitis, for example. It is therefore important to also take care of the entire urinary system and soursop contributes greatly to this. Indeed, the consumption of soursop leaf herbal tea is supposed to have powerful effects against urinary tract infections. And therefore reduce the likelihood of an infection taking the form of a bacterial infection of the urethra, bladder, ureters or kidneys ! If you are prone to this condition, you can take the said herbal tea regularly as a preventive measure. This will help to clean your body in a natural way.
#7 Soursop against burns
In case of burn, you can apply a poultice of soursop leaves to the affected part of the skin. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory effects, the pain will disappear. In addition, your skin will gradually be restored. This is the same principle of action as for rheumatism, but with an epidermal effect. Bonus, you can use this technique against sunburn.
#8 An immunity booster
Even if this does not solve a particular problem, you should know that soursop boosts your immune system in general thanks to the numerous elements it contains… Trace elements, vitamins, etc. So, taking herbal tea or soursop extracts will allow you to protect your body more effectively against invading microbes. This will put an end to weaknesses in your immune system and therefore colds, flus and other coughs!
Go further by watching my video on soursop on YouTube:
So, should you buy soursop?
Soursop, a fruit that is interesting to include in your diet given all its properties and all the benefits against serious illnesses. It can also be consumed in various forms, soursop juice, extracts, infusions or poultices of the leaves. But you have to be moderate, because it can facilitate the appearance of certain diseases such as Parkinson’s.