Soursop (Guyabano) Health Benefits Written by Len Carpio on December 31st, 2011September 14th, 2014. 18 Comments Origin: Tropical America Family: Annonaceae Botanical Name: Annona muricata Varieties: about nine, differing in shape, texture and flavors Season: almost all year round Tree: height; up to 10 m Fruit: length:12 – 24 cm; weight: 400 – 800 gm Soursop is a fruit that has the most delectable flavor. The soursop is a large fruit of a small, fast-growing tree. The fruit is picked from the tree before it has fully ripened as it will be badly bruised if allowed to ripen and fall. The fruit is mature and is ready for eating when it feels slightly soft and is light green externally. The skin is thin and is covered with conical nibs. The white, pulpy flesh, which contains juice, is peppered with small shiny, black inedible seeds, and has a pleasant, sweet-acidic taste. As it is rather fibrous, its squeezed juice makes a better choice, and has, in fact become more popular than the fresh fruit as such. Soursop has few seedless varieties, but they are rare, and tend to have fibrous flesh. Soursop Fruit Health Benefits: Soursop is not only a delicious and healthy fruit but it is use medicinally to treat illness ranging from stomach ailments to cancer. The juice of the soursop fruit can be taken orally as a remedy for urethritis (inflammation of the urethra – a tube that carries urine) and haematuria (presence of blood in urine). Soursop juice when taken during fasting is believed to relieve liver ailments and leprosy. To speed the healing of wounds, the flesh of the soursop is applied as a poultice unchanged for 3 days. Eating 300 grams of soursop fruit everyday can fulfill your vitamin C requirement. Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that can fight disease. Contains minerals like phosphorus and calcium which are very important in the process of bone growth. The juice can help treat oily skin. Rub juice from fresh fruit on face and affected areas and leave for 2-3 minutes. Rinse off. Soursop fruit can help attack cancer cells effectively and safely without the after effect (nausea, weight loss, hair loss) experienced in chemo therapy. Patient instead experience renewed strength by eating soursop regularly. soursop fruit Soursop Nutrient Content per 100 grams servings: Vitamin: C 20.6 Calcium: 14 Iron: 0.6 Calories: 66 Dietary Fiber: 3.3g Protein: 1g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 14mg Sugars: 13.54g Total Carbohydrate: 16.84g Total Fat: 0.3g Saturated Fat: 0.05g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.09g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.06g Soursop Culinary uses: eaten fresh as fruit; made into cakes, ice cream, preserved, beverages and for flavoring. The young soursop, where the seeds are still soft, is used as a vegetable. The fermented fruit is also use to make an apple cider-like drink. soursop tree Medicinal Uses of Soursop Leaves: The leaf decoction is effective for head lice and bedbugs. Use the decoction as final rinse. A decoction (tea) of the young shoots or leaves is regarded as a remedy for gall bladder trouble, as well as coughs, catarrh, diarrhea, dysentery, and indigestion. It is also used to induce sweating and lower fever. A decoction (tea) of leaves are also used as compresses for inflammation and swollen feet. The crushed fresh leaves are used as a poultice to alleviate eczema and other skin problems and rheumatism.
