Soursop, with the botanical name “Annona muricata,” is a tropical fruit that can be easily found in some areas such as South America, Samoa, Florida, and other Pacific Islands.
In Nigeria Soursop is called custard apple, ebo or apekan in Yoruba, fasadarur or tuwon biri in Hausa, and sawansop in Igbo.
This fruit has gained popularity recently because of its ability to remedy some conditions such as viruses, pain relief, and even some types of cancer. Keep reading below to know if the study supported these benefits.
This article will highlight the nutritional value of soursop and explain some of its health benefits. Without keeping you waiting, let’s head over to the nutritional value.
Nutritional Value of Soursop
This green, prickly fruit is very healthy because it is full of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A, magnesium, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, folate, and iron. [1]
100 grams of sour sop contains:
| Calories | 66 |
| Thiamine | 5% of the RDI |
| Protein | 1 gram |
| Potassium | 8% of the RDI |
| Magnesium | 5% of the RDI |
| Fiber | 3.3 grams |
| Vitamin C | 34% of the RDI |
| Carbs | 16.8 grams |
In addition, the soursop fruit contains low amounts of the nutrients niacin, riboflavin, folate, and iron.
10 Health Benefits Of Soursop
Below are some research based hearth benefits of soursop.
1. Rice in Antioxidants
Soursop has a lot of antioxidants, such as tannins, saponins, phytosterols, flavonoids, luteolin, quercetin, tangeretin, and anthraquinones, which are all good for human health.
Antioxidants keep the body’s cells healthy by looking for and fighting disease-causing free radicals.
Some research suggests that antioxidants could help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Unfortunately, more research is need to confirm this benefit.
2. Pain Reliever
A study on rodents which was conducted in 2014 found that graviola has anti-inflammatory properties that may make pain go away. The study’s authors agreed that it could be used as a home remedy for pain and inflammation. [2]
Another study on rats which was conducted in 2010 found that graviola blocked pain receptors and cut down on inflammation. [3]
Nonetheless, researchers stated “ that more research is needed to find out if it is safe for people. It is not clear if the herb would work the same way on people to relieve pain.
3. Good for Eye health
Just like we mentioned above, soursop is full of antioxidants. The antioxidants found in soursop, especially vitamins C and E, zinc, and beta-carotene, may lower the risk of getting eye disease. Oxidative stress, which can cause cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, may also be reduced by this antioxidants. (4)
4. Aid Digestive Health
Soursop is a natural anthelmintic, which means it can help clean out the digestive system and get rid of excess toxins and sodium.
It also has anti-inflammatory properties that help fight parasites in the gut and relieve pain or irritation along the belly and colon.
5. May help Lower Blood Pressure
Graviola is frequently used by people as a traditional medicine to bring down their blood pressure. The risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and stroke is thought to be increased when high blood pressure is not under control.
Graviola was used in a 2012 study on rats that found it helped lower blood pressure without making the heart beat faster. Researchers believe that the herb’s ability to lower blood pressure is related to the effect that it has on calcium ions. [5]
6. Prevents ulcers
Ulcers are painful sores that can develop in the lining of the stomach, esophagus, or small intestine. They can be caused by a number of different factors.
Graviola was found to have antiulcer properties in rodents in a study that was conducted in 2014. [6]
In addition to this, it helps protect the mucous membrane of the stomach and prevents damage to the digestive tract caused by free radicals.
7. May Treat Infections
Extracts from the Annona muricata have anti-viral properties, and as a result, they can be used to treat viral infections like herpes. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is the causative agent of genital herpes, which is an infection of the genital tract.
8. May Promote Kidney and Liver Health
According to the results of a study done in Malaysia, giving soursop extract to rats that were being treated for kidney and liver problems did not cause any problems. Similar findings could be made in humans as well. [7]
According to the findings of study conducted in India, the acetogenins found in soursop have the ability to eliminate cancerous cells in 12 different types of cancer, one of which is liver cancer. [8]
9. Enhances the Health of the Respiratory System
According to the findings of one study conducted in Nigeria, the leaves of the soursop fruit are effective in treating respiratory diseases including asthma. [9]
10. May Improve Immune System
The immune system is a group of cells and proteins that keep viruses, bacteria, germs, infections, and toxins from getting into the body.
If your immune system is weak, you are more likely to get sick and your overall health will suffer. This is why you need to eat foods like soursop that help your body fight off sickness.
Soursop may help your immune system because it has a lot of vitamin A, vitamin C, antioxidants, and other powerful bioactive compounds.
Vitamin A in soursop helps the immune system work better by making the body make more regulatory T cells, which help the immune system respond better to both self-antigens and foreign antigens.
Multiple studies have also shown that not getting enough vitamin A can make it harder for the body to fight off infections and other invaders.
Also, the vitamin C in soursop is thought to be one of the best vitamins for boosting the immune system. Researchers have found that people who don’t get enough vitamin C are more likely to get sick.
Conclusion
Animal research have shown that graviola may be useful against a variety of health issues; however, there have been very few studies conducted on graviola in humans.
Anecdotal evidence has been provided by users, however researchers need to conduct additional scientific studies on humans before they can conclude for certain conditions that graviola is useful in treating certain conditions.
In the event that one is interested in incorporating graviola into their regimen, they should speak with their primary care physician.
They may provide them with information regarding the potential side effects and benefits of using the herb and answer any questions that the user may have.
