Soursop And Its Virtues
The soursop, also called Annoma Muricata, is an endemic tropical fruit of South America and the Caribbean. The tree produces large fruits with a spiked envelope. Keep reading to know more about soursop and its virtues.
A little history
The first scientific research dates back to 1976. Researchers discovered that the bark, leaves, roots, fruits and pips of soursop treat heart disease, liver problems or asthma.
Description of fruit
In Brazil and in Guadeloupe they call this fruit Graviola . This sweet and sour fruit has a soft and thorny green skin. The fairly sweet white pulp is the part you eat raw but you will appreciate the juice more. A sweet and creamy drink very popular with children.
characteristics and properties
Corrosol, coronsol, sapotille, sapadille, graviola, guanabana or guyabano, soursop has several names depending on the region.
Soursop is a fleshy fruit of green color with points resembling soft thorns. The inside of the fruit is mostly the fleshy part which is milky white and the inedible seeds.
The soursop has a tender flesh with a tangy, sweet and mild taste reminiscent of apple-cinnamon. You can eat it in several ways: raw, pressed to extract sweet and fresh juice to make smoothies, ice cream, etc., cooked to make donuts and other dishes. It is a fruit that can be quite large and weigh up to 5 kg.
Graviola or soursop is a low calorie food but has a high nutritional value. It contains a high content of fiber, carbohydrates, and vitamins, mainly vitamin C, vitamin B1 and vitamin B2.
It also has significant amounts of potassium, magnesium, thiamin, but also iron and phosphorus.
Soursop and its virtues
The soursop is a fruit rich in virtues and with many therapeutic potentialities. Its natural chemical composition makes it a very interesting food to add to your daily life.
Despite the allegations and exaggerations about this exotic fruit, studies carried out in recent years have been able to confirm many certain advantages that its consumption can bring to the body.
The flesh of the soursop contains a large quantity of water; it contains 80% water, 1% protein and 18% carbohydrates. This makes it an excellent diuretic food ideal for eliminating toxins.
– Soursop is a fruit with antioxidant properties.
A study carried out which consisted in evaluating the cytoprotective capacity of soursop extract against oxidative stress caused by hydrogen peroxide on skin cells (fibroblasts) confirmed this activity. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidant that acts like free radicals responsible for oxidative stress in cells; which is a major factor in the damage of cellular structures in the body leading to serious illnesses due to the destruction of the cells.
The result therefore showed that the soursop extract significantly inhibited a sub-enzyme of NADPH, a key enzyme in the oxidative explosion. Another study with the leaves confirmed these results excellently.
– Soursop is an antibacterial and an antifungal.
In vitro tests have shown that it has chemical compounds effective in destroying certain types of bacteria and fungi. Its spectrum covers oral microorganisms responsible for cavities, gingivitis and bad breath and gram-positive bacteria such as staphylococci.
– Soursop has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
Tests carried out on rats and mice scientifically proved its properties . Long before these confirmatory tests, traditional medicine in sub-saharan Africa used unripe soursoup in the treatment of certain ailments such as flu-like illnesses, arthritis-related pain and nerve pain.
– Soursop has anti hyperglycemic properties
It is an anti diabetic. It would help reduce blood glucose levels, which would help reduce the risk of diabetes. The laboratory on diabetic rats which have received soursop extracts as a treatment have proved its action on hyperglycemia. They also noticed a very significant reduction in blood sugar which went down to normal. Its consumption would therefore be an asset against the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
– Soursop has antitumor properties.
Yes, and it is confirmed that soursop has a mechanism to reduce cancer cells, mainly on breast cancer in relation to which studies have been carried out. It has cytotox activities and induction of apoptosis on breast cancer, that is to say intervenes in the inhibition of cell mitochondrial division and the destruction of tumor cells.
However, several articles on the net have exaggerated its anti-cancer power by gratuitously claiming that soursop is more effective than chemotherapy. Its antitumor action varies according to the orifgin of the soursop.
This assumes that the environment has an impact on the tree’s bioactive compounds. Like all other plants. However, in view of these potentially neurotoxic effects, there is hesitation about putting it on the market as an anti-cancer treatment until validating its safety.
Several therapeutic effects of soursop have not yet been scientifically verified and others are still in progress.
But soursop and soursop juice are used in Africa to eliminate intestinal worms and parasites, reduce fever, increase breast milk after childbirth in nursing women, and serve as an astringent in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery. The seeds of the fruit are also used for their therapeutic virtues.
The consumption of graviola to improve health
Even though the benefits of graviola are proven, excessive consumption can be harmful to your health. Its use must be done in a thoughtful and measured way. For a curative or preventive treatment, it is advisable to buy either dry extracts or dried leaves. It is recommended to take two grams per day in the form of capsules. If you infuse the leaves, 3 herbal teas a day are enough to benefit from the benefits of graviola.
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