There are numerous and great health benefits of soursop leaves. The soursop leaves are native to the warm and tropical regions of the Americas and the Caribbean and Africa. Soursop is a fruit that goes by many names, its scientific name is Annona Muricata, but locally called Guanabana, Paw-Paw, Sirsak, and Graviola.
Soursop is a plant that belongs to the Annonaceae family. It is a huge, oval-shaped fruit that grows on trees and is harvested for consumption. This fruit features green skin with spikes and fibrous white flesh with seeds, soursop’s flavour can best be described as a cross between mango and pineapple.
For generations now, the healthy benefits of soursop leaves have been harvested to produce a variety of items, from cooking oils to soaps and herbal medicines. Ancient practices used it as a fertility drug, treatment for illness, insecticide, and much more.
Soursop leaves have many uses in traditional medicine, and it has been used to treat a wide range of health conditions and ailments. With its strong nutrient profile, it provides a variety of health benefits.
The health benefits of soursop leaves are that a variety of health disorders have been treated using it, which has been utilized in traditional medicine for many years. Because of its high nutritious content. It has a wide range of health advantages.
Another health benefits of soursop leaves is that it’s high in Vitamin C, which is an antioxidant that helps to strengthen the immune system. It has anti-cancer and anti-hypertensive effects.
Let’s take a look at the health benefits of soursop leaves more closely and in detail.
15 Health Benefits Of Soursop Leaves
Soursop leaves are 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 leaves contains 215% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
Soursop (the fruit and the leaf) 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.
1. Enhances The Health Of The Eyes
Soursop leaves contain antioxidants in large amounts. These antioxidants, particularly vitamins C and E, zinc, and beta-carotene, can lower the chance of developing eye illness.
Aside from that, antioxidants can help to minimize oxidative stress, which can lead to cataracts and age-related macular degeneration if left untreated.
So eye enhancement is one of the 15 health benefits of soursop leaves.
2. 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.
The intake of soursop leaves and juice was reported to alleviate inflammation induced by snakebite in a Brazilian research study.
More research is necessary for this area because the components of soursop leaves may also worsen the effects of snake venom if consumed in large quantities.
The anti-inflammatory qualities of the soursop tree’s roots, barks, and leaves have been the subject of much research in South America and tropical Africa in recent years.
Soursop has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, and it is suitable to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis as well.
The analgesic properties of soursop leaves are outstanding in addition to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Fighting inflammation is one of the health benefits of soursop leaves.
3. Cancer Treatment
One of the health benefits of soursop leaves is the ability to prevent cancer and tumors. This is due to the presence of antioxidant substances like acetogenins, alkaloids and quinolones in them. Some research has also been done to get the exact detail of soursop medicinal value.
The study further revealed that the presence of acetogenins in soursop leaves makes it an alternative for cancer treatment. It also stated that soursop is antimicrobial in nature and hence an excellent option for treating breast, lungs, prostate and pancreatic cancer.
Soursop extracts were discovered to be effective against specific types of breast and liver cancer cells, despite the fact that no direct human investigations have been conducted.
The soursop plant has been shown in one research to be a successful cancer treatment for the majority of cancer types. Despite the fact that there are not enough experiments on humans, the prospects are exciting.
Another study done on numerous cell lines found that soursop or Graviola leaves were able to limit cell growth by 80 %. Soursop contains acetogenins, which are chemicals that block the formation of toxic substances in cancer cells.
Pancreatic cancer cells’ survival and metabolism were both suppressed by soursop extract, suggesting that it may be possible to cure the fatal illness using it.
What may distinguish acetogenins from other anticancer agents is their ability to selectively eliminate cancer cells while causing no damage to healthy cells.
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4. Help In Infection Treatment
The antiparasitic nature of soursop has made it a well-known treatment for parasitic infections in most parts of Southern America where parasitic infections are prone. By drinking tea from the leaves of the tree, you can purify your gastrointestinal system.
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.
Soursop has the ability to treat illnesses caused by bacteria and parasites, one of which being leishmaniasis, a condition caused by parasites that are spread by the bites of sand fleas.
The ability to cure a variety of infections is one of the numerous health benefits of soursop leaves.
5. Prevents Diabetes
The health benefits of soursop leaves for diabetic prevention is of great importance. The fruit of the soursop plant, according to research, has anti-diabetic qualities.
The aqueous extract of the soursop leaf is effective in inhibiting (and even preventing) the hepatic oxidative damage induced by diabetes. No doubt, diabetes treatment is among the 15 health benefits of soursop leaves.
Some researchers have confirmed that the leaves of soursop can stabilize the blood glucose level in our body at the normal range, between 70 mg up to 120 mg.
Soursop’s medicinal value is known almost everywhere in the world mostly for its activeness against any sickness that can cause diabetes.
Examples of such diseases are high blood sugar levels and obesity.
6. Improves The Health Of The Kidneys And Liver
An extract of soursop was shown to be safe in rats that were being treated for renal and liver problems, according to Malaysian research. However similar observations are necessary for humans as well.
Diseases associated with the liver can be improved with the consumption of soursop thanks to its alkalinity and detoxifying properties at the kidney and liver levels
This is because the liver is the organ that is responsible for breaking down the chemical substances that enter the body, but the alkalinity of soursop cleanses and detoxifies said organ, significantly improving its function.
The acetogenins found in soursop, according to another study, may kill the malignant cells of 12 different forms of cancer, with liver cancer being one of those types.
Improvement of kidney and liver is one of the health benefits of soursop
7. Improve Digestive Health
The fibre in soursop is up to 7.4 grams per cup and has the potential to ease constipation. It also slows your digestion down and prevents you from craving sugary snacks by maintaining your blood sugar levels. Some research even claims that soursop fights heart disease by lowering high cholesterol levels.
In addition, soursop’s antiviral and antiparasitic properties prevent intestinal worms and other parasites from infiltrating your GI tract. The fruit’s juice serves as a diuretic, which cleanses the gastrointestinal tract and removes excess sodium that often causes bloating.
8. Relieves Pain And Stress
According to reports, one of the health benefits of soursop leaves is its ability to relieve pain. Soursop has an analgesic property which helps to relieve pain.
In accordance with a study conducted by the University of Connecticut, soursop can be used to cure a variety of conditions, including stress and depression.
Extract the water in the leaves either by quizzing, chewing or any other means and apply the liquid to the affected area at least once in a day until you become better.
9. Fever Treatment
Another health benefits of Soursop leaves or fruit is that its good for treating fever. You can control feverish symptoms and convulsive seizures using an infusion of soursop leaves, which is traditionally common in Africa.
Soursop extract was found to be extremely toxic to the larvae of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is responsible for the transmission of dengue fever.
According to a study, the soursop leaves and its juice is suitable to treat not just fever but also diarrhoea and dysentery by acting as an astringent on the intestines. In addition, the fruit is suitable for treating fever in children; This is commonly used to cure children in Africa.
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10. Remedy For Boils
A boil is a growth that can occur on any part of the body. In some cases, they transform into infections if not treated properly and damage your skin or face. Hence, the soursop medicinal value of the leave comes in.
In order to get the best result, get the fresh soursop leaves, squizz it and rub at the affected area until it clears.
11. Treating Hemorrhoids
A haemorrhoid is a disease that affects the rectum causing the rectum to be bleeding. Soursop leaves being antimicrobial, offer protection to your rectum and also halt the rectum from bleeding.
It also strengthens the muscles around the rectum and makes them more fit to control hemorrhoids.
Treatment of hemorrhoids is a great health benefits of soursop leaves.
12. Treatment Of Rheumatism
Rheumatism is a bacterial infection that affects the joints and waist of mostly adult people. The health benefits of soursop leaves can never be exhausted as it helps to cure the pains caused by arthritis.
Studies suggest that the internal administration of soursop leaf decoction has anti-rheumatic capabilities, according to many investigations.
Additionally, when the leaves were boiled and administered topically, they were effective in alleviating rheumatism and abscesses.Unripe soursop fruits are used to alleviate rheumatism and arthritis pain in Africa, where they are usually served.
Even the crushed leaves of the soursop tree are a good treatment to alleviate rheumatism in some cultures. Soursop also includes antioxidants such as anthocyanins, tannins, and alkaloids, which have anti-rheumatic properties.
Squizz the leaves of the soursop until they become tiny, apply it on the affected area or you soak it in water and drink the liquids.
13. Helps To Treat Hypertension
The health benefits of Soursop leaves is that it has traditionally been used to relieve hypertension. In accordance with a study, this can be ascribed to phenols in the fruit’s high antioxidant capacity.
According to a report from an Indonesian study, soursop offers beneficial minerals that can help decrease blood pressure levels in healthy persons.
14. Treats Ulcer
Soursop leaves are excellent remedies for ulcers because the substances within soursop leaves reduce inflammation and also act as a painkiller. Additionally, soursop leaves improve our immune system. So that the usual slow healing process of ulcers can be shortened due to an active immune system.
So therefore, the health benefits of soursop is the treatment of ulcers.
15. Improves Skin Conditions
An article by the Federal University of Sergipe, in Brazil, explains that the topical application of extracts from soursop leaves reduces skin inflammation.
This is due to the high content of Vitamin C present in soursop leaves, which acts as a natural antioxidant, in combination with its anti-inflammatory effect, it is used to relieve irritation and improve skin conditions such as dermatitis and rashes.
Crushed seeds of soursop have anti aging power when mixed with your cream. Apply the creams on your skin to prevent premature aging and other microbial infections.
Conclusion
Soursop leave has the potential to induce nerve damage and mobility issues, particularly when used for an extended period of time, while soursop leaves 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(s) 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 boil the soursop leaves for at least 20 minutes to get the optimum extract of leaves.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.
I Hope this article on the health benefits of soursop has been helpful to you.
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