Health Check; Soursop (Graviola)
Graviola may only have recently become popular in the West but it has a long history in ancient herbal remedies and treatments. Also known by other names such as soursop, guanabana and cherimoya, this small tree (no more than 10 meters tall) grows in tropical America. The soursop fruit is very tasty (sort of like custardy apple) and has been used to add flavor to jams, ice cream, juices and nectars.
But apart from its ability to turn ordinary food into an extraordinary treat, the fruit has also been used in traditional medicine to fight rickets. The leaves, bark and roots on the other hand are used to treat diabetes. Lately, there have been studies pointing to Graviola as an alternative treatment for cancer. But while Graviola has established its importance in ancient medicine, experts have also discovered that it provides a number of benefits.
Ancient Medicinal Benefits of Graviola
Graviola fruit or juice have long been used to help reduce fever. Aside from this, consuming the fruit has been known to relieve diarrhea, dysentery and even kill parasites and worms in the digestive tract.
The root of soursop or graviola has been classified as antiparasitic which means you can use it to get rid of lice in your pet’s fur or in your child’s hair. Based on research, the graviola tea can even help regulate blood pressure because it has hypotensive properties, which means that a patient with high blood pressure can be treated by simply drinking the tea.
In the mountains of Peru, the leaves of graviola are brewed to treat inflamed mucus membranes or to facilitate the discharge of mucus from the nose, throat and lungs. In the Amazon, locals use the leaves and roots of the plant to help regulate blood sugar for patients with diabetes. Even in the West Indies, people drink tea made of Graviola leaves to treat cough, flu and asthma. Breastfeeding mothers eat the fruit to increase the supply of their breast milk.
Modern Medicinal Benefits of Graviola
Even though graviola’s benefits are well known in ancient medicine, it’s only recently that modern science jumped on the bandwagon. In 1976, a study was made on soursop as a possible cure for cancer. This study was conducted by the National Cancer Institute. The results were quite astounding.
It was found that some of the benefits of soursop include its ability to eliminate cancer cells in the body using the leaves and stems of the tree. It was found that it had an ingredient that was 10,000 times more potent than chemo. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York also confirms that graviola, particularly graviola extract, does have beneficial elements including anti-rheumatic, anti-viral, anti-parasitic and emetic.
Other Known Graviola Benefits
Aside from those mentioned above, other soursop benefits include:
1. Stronger immune system
Soursop has a lot of excellent properties that are necessary to keep the immune system strong. These properties kill free radicals and ensure the immune system is at optimum health so it can effectively perform its functions such as warding off diseases.
2. Regular bowel movements
Graviola is rich in fiber which means that when consumed regularly, one can expect regular bowel movements. With graviola, you don’t have to worry about constipation and hemorrhoids.
3. Increased energy
Soursop has properties that keep the body active and energized so you won’t feel lethargic all day.
4. Osteoporosis prevention
Soursop is rich in calcium and phosphorous to help strengthen the bones and prevent bone and joint diseases such as osteoporosis.
5. Heart disease and nerve disease prevention
Because soursop can aid in proper blood circulation, boost metabolism and prevent damage to the nerves, one will have a better functioning heart and the nervous system will also be less likely to get damaged as one grows older.
Although there has not been enough scientific evidence to back up some claims, it’s been widely believed that soursop leaves can also treat gout by lowering the uric acid in the body. Simply boil 6 – 10 leaves with 2 cups of water and drink one cup twice a day. For those suffering from back pain and rheumatism, you can benefit from the use of graviola extract obtained from its leaves, by drinking it hot once a day. Soursop is also believed to help prevent infection by inhibiting the growth of viruses, bacteria and parasites.
What Makes Graviola So Beneficial to the Body?
To understand why there are dozens of graviola benefits, you have to know the composition of this plant. First of all, the soursop fruit is rich in vitamins and minerals including vitamin B1, B2, and C. It also has potassium, calcium, zinc, phosphorous and magnesium. The stem, bark and leaves are rich in antioxidants particularly Coenzyme Q10 to fight inflammation, eliminate free radicals, and ensure the body is functioning at optimum levels.
Taking a look at all the good things present in graviola, it’s easy to see why people are eating the fruit, boiling the leaves and even taking graviola capsules. In many ways, the plant makes people healthy and improve their quality of life.
Nutritional Value
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 276 kJ (66 kcal)
Carbohydrates 16.84 g
Sugars 13.54 g
Dietary fiber 3.3 g
Fat 0.3 g
Protein 1 g
Vitamins
Thiamine (B1) (6%) 0.07 mg
Riboflavin (B2) (4%) 0.05 mg
Niacin (B3) (6%) 0.9 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5) (5%) 0.253 mg
Vitamin B6 (5%) 0.059 mg
Folate (B9) (4%) 14 μg
Choline (2%) 7.6 mg
Vitamin C (25%) 20.6 mg
Minerals
Calcium (1%) 14 mg
Iron (5%) 0.6 mg
Magnesium (6%) 21 mg
Phosphorus (4%) 27 mg
Potassium (6%) 278 mg
Sodium (1%) 14 mg
Zinc (1%) 0.1 mg
Graviola Side Effects
Like most remedies and treatments, there are also some side effects to using graviola. Medical experts warn pregnant and lactating women against the use of graviola pills, graviola capsules and fruit. The safety of this supplement to babies and fetus has not been determined.
In addition, there are reports that consuming soursop regularly may put a person at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. However, keep in mind that these findings were obtained using cultured neurons and not human test subjects so the data is not completely accurate.
But apart from its ability to turn ordinary food into an extraordinary treat, the fruit has also been used in traditional medicine to fight rickets. The leaves, bark and roots on the other hand are used to treat diabetes. Lately, there have been studies pointing to Graviola as an alternative treatment for cancer. But while Graviola has established its importance in ancient medicine, experts have also discovered that it provides a number of benefits.
Ancient Medicinal Benefits of Graviola
Graviola fruit or juice have long been used to help reduce fever. Aside from this, consuming the fruit has been known to relieve diarrhea, dysentery and even kill parasites and worms in the digestive tract.
The root of soursop or graviola has been classified as antiparasitic which means you can use it to get rid of lice in your pet’s fur or in your child’s hair. Based on research, the graviola tea can even help regulate blood pressure because it has hypotensive properties, which means that a patient with high blood pressure can be treated by simply drinking the tea.
In the mountains of Peru, the leaves of graviola are brewed to treat inflamed mucus membranes or to facilitate the discharge of mucus from the nose, throat and lungs. In the Amazon, locals use the leaves and roots of the plant to help regulate blood sugar for patients with diabetes. Even in the West Indies, people drink tea made of Graviola leaves to treat cough, flu and asthma. Breastfeeding mothers eat the fruit to increase the supply of their breast milk.
Modern Medicinal Benefits of Graviola
Even though graviola’s benefits are well known in ancient medicine, it’s only recently that modern science jumped on the bandwagon. In 1976, a study was made on soursop as a possible cure for cancer. This study was conducted by the National Cancer Institute. The results were quite astounding.
It was found that some of the benefits of soursop include its ability to eliminate cancer cells in the body using the leaves and stems of the tree. It was found that it had an ingredient that was 10,000 times more potent than chemo. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York also confirms that graviola, particularly graviola extract, does have beneficial elements including anti-rheumatic, anti-viral, anti-parasitic and emetic.
Other Known Graviola Benefits
Aside from those mentioned above, other soursop benefits include:
1. Stronger immune system
Soursop has a lot of excellent properties that are necessary to keep the immune system strong. These properties kill free radicals and ensure the immune system is at optimum health so it can effectively perform its functions such as warding off diseases.
2. Regular bowel movements
Graviola is rich in fiber which means that when consumed regularly, one can expect regular bowel movements. With graviola, you don’t have to worry about constipation and hemorrhoids.
3. Increased energy
Soursop has properties that keep the body active and energized so you won’t feel lethargic all day.
4. Osteoporosis prevention
Soursop is rich in calcium and phosphorous to help strengthen the bones and prevent bone and joint diseases such as osteoporosis.
5. Heart disease and nerve disease prevention
Because soursop can aid in proper blood circulation, boost metabolism and prevent damage to the nerves, one will have a better functioning heart and the nervous system will also be less likely to get damaged as one grows older.
Although there has not been enough scientific evidence to back up some claims, it’s been widely believed that soursop leaves can also treat gout by lowering the uric acid in the body. Simply boil 6 – 10 leaves with 2 cups of water and drink one cup twice a day. For those suffering from back pain and rheumatism, you can benefit from the use of graviola extract obtained from its leaves, by drinking it hot once a day. Soursop is also believed to help prevent infection by inhibiting the growth of viruses, bacteria and parasites.
What Makes Graviola So Beneficial to the Body?
To understand why there are dozens of graviola benefits, you have to know the composition of this plant. First of all, the soursop fruit is rich in vitamins and minerals including vitamin B1, B2, and C. It also has potassium, calcium, zinc, phosphorous and magnesium. The stem, bark and leaves are rich in antioxidants particularly Coenzyme Q10 to fight inflammation, eliminate free radicals, and ensure the body is functioning at optimum levels.
Taking a look at all the good things present in graviola, it’s easy to see why people are eating the fruit, boiling the leaves and even taking graviola capsules. In many ways, the plant makes people healthy and improve their quality of life.
Nutritional Value
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 276 kJ (66 kcal)
Carbohydrates 16.84 g
Sugars 13.54 g
Dietary fiber 3.3 g
Fat 0.3 g
Protein 1 g
Vitamins
Thiamine (B1) (6%) 0.07 mg
Riboflavin (B2) (4%) 0.05 mg
Niacin (B3) (6%) 0.9 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5) (5%) 0.253 mg
Vitamin B6 (5%) 0.059 mg
Folate (B9) (4%) 14 μg
Choline (2%) 7.6 mg
Vitamin C (25%) 20.6 mg
Minerals
Calcium (1%) 14 mg
Iron (5%) 0.6 mg
Magnesium (6%) 21 mg
Phosphorus (4%) 27 mg
Potassium (6%) 278 mg
Sodium (1%) 14 mg
Zinc (1%) 0.1 mg
Graviola Side Effects
Like most remedies and treatments, there are also some side effects to using graviola. Medical experts warn pregnant and lactating women against the use of graviola pills, graviola capsules and fruit. The safety of this supplement to babies and fetus has not been determined.
In addition, there are reports that consuming soursop regularly may put a person at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. However, keep in mind that these findings were obtained using cultured neurons and not human test subjects so the data is not completely accurate.
Culled and edited. Images: Google
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