10 Health Benefits of Soursop
Soursop, also called custard apple, graviola, and guanabana, is a tropical fruit that is oval or heart shaped. The fruit is cream in color with an inedible dark green, spiny skin. The fruit can grow to a width of 12 inches and a length of 6 inches, and weigh as much as 15 pounds. It grows in interconnected segments, each containing a hard, smooth, oval-shaped black seed, about half an inch long.
Soursop is a native of the tropical regions of the Americas. However, today, soursop is grown in many parts of the world. Soursop fruit tastes like a cross between pineapple, banana, and strawberry.
Soursop is prepared and consumed in many ways including as raw fruit and in juices, ice creams, and shakes. But besides using it as food, it is beneficial in other ways. This article looks at 10 health benefits of soursop.
Soursop Benefit #1: Reduces Inflammation
The body uses inflammation to initiate recovery from injury. However, when inflammation continues for too long, it can cause serious harm in the body including development of diseases and chronic conditions. Chronic inflammation has been identified as an important factor in the development of conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer.
Chronic inflammation is usually caused by the presence of free radicals in the body. These are reactive compounds that result from the breakdown of food. When these compounds continue to exist within the body, they irritate tissues, which leads to inflammation. Therefore, it makes sense to include in your diet foods that fight inflammation. One such food is soursop. Soursop contains an important array of antioxidants that neutralize free radicals, thereby stopping their oxidative properties.
Soursop Benefit #2: Controls Blood Glucose Levels
While soursop has traditionally been used in the management of diabetes, it is only recently that studies have shown the fruit actually works. A study in rats found that those that were fed on soursop had lower blood sugar levels than those that were not.
According to the study, soursop works because some compounds in it likely inhibit the working of some enzymes responsible for breaking down complex carbohydrates. Soursop could also reduce blood sugar levels by inhibiting the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. The study also found that consumption of soursop leaves reduced the effects of oxidative stress associated with diabetes. Soursop may also stimulate growth of insulin-producing cells within the pancreas.
Soursop Benefit #3: Antimicrobial
Besides fighting inflammation, soursop has antimicrobial properties. This means that a regular helping of soursop can help kill disease-causing organisms and thus reduce your chances of getting infections. Soursop is also a safer alternative for keeping infections at bay during dental treatment procedures such as root canals.
Ordinarily, during root canal treatment, dentists use chemicals like sodium hypochlorite to prevent infection. Unfortunately, such chemicals may have dangerous side effects. Studies conducted in the use of soursop extract to irrigate root canals found that this natural treatment agent has similar protective effects to conventional chemical treatments, but without the side effects.
Soursop Benefit #4: Helps Fight Cancer
Studies have shown that soursop is one of the most effective cancer-fighting plants. Eating the fruit is a great idea for people with cancer because they contain bioactive compounds that have powerful antioxidant properties. The antioxidant compounds scavenge for free radicals.
Soursop also contains enzymes that interfere with the production of adenosine triphosphate, also called ATP, within cancer cells. ATP is the form of energy produced within the cells for their use. By inhibiting ATP production within cancer cells, the compounds in soursop cause death of the cancer cells. This helps in the fight against cancer. It is worth to note that while soursop fruit has these properties, leaf extract contains much higher amounts of the cancer-fighting compounds.
Soursop Benefit #5: Kills Intestinal Parasites
Intestinal parasites can damage the intestines and reduce the amounts of nutrients that are absorbed into the bloodstream. The parasites should, therefore, be prevented by washing raw foods thoroughly before eating. If you suspect that you may have intestinal worms, you will probably take anti-helminthic drugs. But you could also use soursop to get rid of the worms as it has anti-helminthic properties.
For this purpose, soursop leaves are more effective than the fruit. Studies have found that soursop extract made from the leaves kills the parasites whether they are in larvae or adult stages. It is worth to note that most conventional anti-helminthic drugs are only effective against the intestinal parasites at one or the other stage. This suggests that soursop extract may be a better method to fight intestinal parasites.
Soursop Benefit #6: Protects Your Eyesight
The eyes are very sensitive organs that have a critical role in the life of the bearer. But exposure to the elements including ultraviolet radiation and free radicals can have their toll. This can lead to deteriorating eyesight, especially with advanced age. One of the most common causes of deteriorating vision is the condition called macular degeneration, especially age-related macular degeneration. This condition develops when the macular region within the retina of the eyes is damaged as a result of exposure to free radicals.
Still, according to a number of scientific studies, eating foods rich in antioxidants can reduce the risk of deterioration of the macular. It can also prevent the development or growth of tumors. Soursop is rich in antioxidant phytonutrients beneficial to the eyes such as flavonoids, phenols, glycosides, anthraquinones, and phytosterols.
Soursop Benefit #7: A Rich Source of Micronutrients
Soursop is a powerhouse of essential nutrients. It contains B-vitamins, vitamin C, and minerals like potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and iron. One hundred grams of raw soursop fruit contains 66 calories, 1 gram of protein, 0.3 grams of fat, and 3.3 grams of fiber. The same portion provides 20.6 milligrams of vitamin C, which is 34 percent of the daily value and 278 milligrams of potassium, which is 8 percent of the daily value. It also provides 5 percent of the daily values of thiamine and magnesium, 4 percent daily value of niacin and copper, and 3 percent daily value of riboflavin, folate, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, iron, and phosphorus.
A regular helping of soursop can, therefore, provide significant amounts of these vitamins and minerals. This way, soursop can help reduce deficiencies and thus prevent diseases and conditions that would otherwise develop as a result of low levels of these vitamins and minerals.
Soursop Benefit #8: Boosts Immune Function
The immune system requires a constant supply of vitamins and minerals to function properly and keep you healthy. Absence or deficiency of these micronutrients negatively affects the immune function. This can cause infections to develop more easily.
The immune system also benefits from antioxidant compounds found in some foods. Soursop is a rich source of vitamin C, B-vitamins, and several minerals and many powerful antioxidants. This combination boosts your immunity so that it can prevent infection and fight it when it occurs. Additionally, the antioxidants in soursop also fight harmful inflammation. This reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases, which makes soursop a great dietary addition for better health.
Soursop Benefit #9: Improves Digestion
Your health is to a large extent dependent on your digestive health. This means that if you have good digestion, you will be healthier. Consequently, digestive problems can rob you of good health and lead to recurrent illness. It can also mean that your body does not benefit from many of the nutrients contained in the food that you eat. Eating some food items like soursop can help improve your digestion.
Soursop contains fiber and many antioxidants. Fiber helps improve bowel movement because it is indigestible by the human digestive system. The antioxidants in soursop neutralize free radicals within the gut, thereby preventing their damaging effects. Soursop further cleanses the gut by carrying away waste and excess water, allowing for healthy digestion of food and absorption of nutrients.
Soursop Benefit #10: Relieves Respiratory Tract Illnesses
Respiratory tract illnesses are some of the most common health problems. This is probably because the respiratory tract is made up of highly sensitive tissues that are constantly exposed to the surrounding environment by way of breathing. If the surrounding environment contains disease-causing organisms, they can easily find their way into tissues within the respiratory tract.
Fortunately, regular intake of some micronutrients like vitamin C and various antioxidants strengthens the immune system so that it can fight against infections and also help the body to recover from infections when they occur. Soursop is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, which support immune function. It also has antimicrobial properties such that it can kill some disease-causing microorganisms.
