The Wonderful Benefits of Soursop (Graviola) Leaf.

Soursop fruit is a fruit we’re not use to seeing in American food markets and if we did happen to come across it at a market we might walk by it due to the somewhat intimidating appearance of the fruit.  By walking by soursop we would be losing a chance to try fruit not only delicious but nutrient rich with medicinal properties.  It might be a little challenging to find soursop in regular food markets, therefore Asian or Caribbean markets would be your best bet.  Most health food stores carry soursop leaf tea, which is still a good way to get the benefits of soursop.

Soursop fruit is indigenous to warm climates such as the Caribbean, South America, Mexico and Africa.  Other words for soursop are graviola, prickly custard apple and brazilianawpaw.  The inside of the fruit is soft, creamy white and has black seeds.  Soursop grows off of a flowering evergreen tree called Annona Muricata.  The flowers are big and yellowish in color and the leaves are large, dark green and shiny.  The nickname for the tree is called, “Miracle Tree” and by the end of this blog post you’ll see how much the nickname suits.

According to The Guardian, a Nigerian newspaper, it was reported that, “In natural medicine practices, all parts of the soursop tree are used as medicine, including roots, bark, stems, leaves, fruits and the fruit seeds.”   The therapeutic assets of soursop are many such as anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and immunity boosting properties.   The nutrients from soursop are protein, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B1 & B2, magnesium, manganese, dietary fiber and potassium chloride.

By drinking soursop leaf tea 1 to 3 times a day, the following conditions can be improved:

• Digestive issues.
• Nervous disorders.
• Asthma, cough, chest problems.
• Heart problems, hypertension.
• Diabetes.  
• Menstrual problems.
• Cancer cells.
• Cold and Flu.

If you should ever come across soursop fruit don’t just walk on by, give it a try but if the fruit still looks a little intimidating, pick up a box of soursop leaf tea.

Here’s a couple of links about soursop:
Organicfacts
Stylecraze