Customers tell us that Soursop is very healing, so when we found it, along with Dragon Juice and Passion Juice we thought we should give them all a try. While the information below is regarding the fresh fruit, we hope it will be useful. We hope to sample them during the week.
Health Benefits from WebMD
Soursop is high in vitamin C, an antioxidant known to boost immune health. The vitamin strengthens your immune system, improving its ability to defend against pathogens. It also promotes the destruction of free radicals, which can help to protect your skin and cells from environmental oxidative damage. One whole soursop fruit contains 215% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
Soursop (the fruit and the leaves) contains many other antioxidants, including phytosterols, tannins, and flavonoids. Antioxidants play a role in your overall health and may help to protect against a variety of health conditions.
Other health benefits of soursop include:
Fights inflammation
Antioxidants fight free radicals, reducing the damage to your cells caused by oxidative stress. One of the side effects of oxidative stress is inflammation. The antioxidants in soursop may, therefore, help to reduce inflammation in the body.
Stabilizes blood pressure
High blood pressure may lead to serious issues like heart disease and heart attack. A contributing factor to high blood pressure is sodium intake. Potassium helps your body to get rid of sodium and eases the tension in the walls of your blood vessels, both of which can help to lower your blood pressure. A whole soursop fruit offers approximately one-third to one-half of your recommended daily allowance of potassium.
May fight against bacteria
Soursop may provide antibacterial effects. One study found that an extract may be able to kill many different types of bacteria, including strains that cause gum disease and cavities. Another study found that soursop extracts may help to fight cholera and Staphylococcus bacteria. While these were test-tube studies, the results are promising, and further research is needed.
Nutrition
Soursop contains many essential vitamins and minerals, including:
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin C
Folate
Calcium
Iron
Potassium
Magnesium
Phosphorous
Zinc
Copper
Things to Watch Out For
While soursop can offer significant health benefits, it does have some potential drawbacks. Studies have shown that the fruit and tea made from the leaves may cause symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease. Studies also indicate that it may interact with high blood pressure medication or medications for diabetes. The compounds in the fruit may strengthen the effects of such medications, causing dangerous drops in your blood pressure or blood sugar levels.
You should also avoid eating soursop seeds. They have toxic compounds and may cause harmful side effects. Be sure to remove them before eating the fruit.