There are many tropical fruits that we hardly know because they are not so common for us although they are not beneficial for the body.
This time we want to talk about the guanabana, a fruit that is born from the fruit tree native to Peru. It belongs to the Anonaceae family, it has characteristics very similar to those of the custard apple, although its flavor is different. Maybe similar, but not the same.
What is
It can be called in different ways, such as masaamba, corosol, catuche or catoche, Brazilian custard apple among others. The pulp of its fruit is ingested directly or it is used to make drinks, sorbets or sweets. Its leaves are also used to make infusions.
The soursop tree can reach between 8 and 10 meters high according to the different soil conditions where it has been planted. Their leaves they are compact but not very abundant, they are simple, big and thick dark green and shiny.
Its flowers, on the other hand, are yellowish green, appear in pairs or alone, their stems are short and sprout from the old branches of the tree, their leaves leave a lot of aroma if we rub them with the hand.
This tree is from tropical climate, does not tolerate frost, so you will always find yourself in areas where the climate is warm. A tree produces around 10 to 15 guanabanas and it is pollinated manually to recover the fruit.
The fruit must be collected when it reaches its optimum point of ripeness, it begins to be noticed when the fruit loses its dark green color and becomes a little more opaque and loses its shine, in addition, its spines become more flexible and soft.
If we cut them ahead of time they will not be able to mature outside the tree so its flavor will not be rich, it will be bitter.
La soursop is between 10 to 40 centimeters long. Its skin is thin, inside its pulp is aromatic, white, creamy and juicy. Its seeds are covered by this pulp, in the same way as the custard apple. A piece can reach 20 seeds, although some may not contain.
Its flavor is very pleasant and they compare it with the taste of pineapple or custard apple. Others relate it to the taste of mango or strawberry. It has a bittersweet taste difficult to explain, so we recommend directly trying it to taste it.
What properties does soursop have for health
Soursop has a multitude of medicinal properties, it is consumed not only for its flavor but also for its benefits that it gives to the body.
It is one of the favorite fruits of many people who have it more within reachDue to its bittersweet flavor, it is perfect for making juices and drinks. Next, we tell you what their properties that stand out the most.
- It has anti-cancer properties. By eating soursop we can reduce the number of cancer cells because it attacks them. It does not have any side effects, such as nausea or weight loss. Soursop leaf kills malignant cells of up to 12 types of cancer: breast, lung, cancer, colon or pancreas. Soursop slows down the growth of cancer cells.
- Improves the immune system. This happens because soursop is rich in Vitamin C. It has 20 mg for every 100 grams that we consume, gives us a lot of energy and keeps our body alert of any virus.
- On the other hand, thanks to this vitamin C content it also makes it an antioxidant food, perfect for preventing premature aging.
- Relieves pain and treats annoying hemorrhoids. Soursop juice drinks are good for cure hemorrhoids, in addition to waist pain and help regulate our appetite.
Benefits of taking soursop
On the other hand, this tropical fruit has great benefits thanks to its nutritional values. We tell you which ones we highlight.
- It is rich in fiber. We know that fiber is very necessary in our diet, it helps us maintain a clean body and perfect digestive health. If we consume it regularly we will avoid suffering constipation.
- Prevent osteoporosis. By containing phosphorus and calcium it directly helps bone health. On the other hand, fructose, which is the simple sugar found in all fruits, fills us with energy because it is a source of carbohydrates.
- Treats various diseases and prevents various infections. Being a natural fruit with great properties, consuming it twice a day can help us overcome kidney disease, liver problems or complications in the urinary tract.
- If we cut a part of the fruit and we use it topically You will be able to treat wounds to avoid possible infection.
- Maintains a healthy heart. The B1 content is able to accelerate metabolism, blood circulation and maintains healthy nerves. On the other hand, the content of B2 helps the production and synthesis of energy in the body.
Does soursop serve as a cancer treatment?
There has been a lot of talk about the qualities to treat cancer. Many scientific studies have been carried out studying the anticancer properties.
A recent study from Purdue University in Lafayette in Indiana found that the leaves of this tropical fruit they kill cells of various types of cancer, prostate, pancreas or lungs.
The tree compounds showed slow the growth of cancer cells just like chemotherapy does. However, there are no human studies to show that this is true.
Contraindications
Although it may seem like a super food, soursop can be counterproductive and have side effects. Its components can become toxic and can be the culprits of suffering from atypical parkinson's.
Therefore, we should not abuse this product, because atypical parkinson's can appear. Although it is not entirely related, we should not gamble with excesses.
Soursop is antimicrobial so if we consume several pieces every day it can alter our gut. For this reason, we must remember that the fruit is consumed with moderation.
On the other hand, it is not advisable to consume it if you are pregnant. Since it is vasodilator and cardiopressor. Although it is recommended to eat it to increase the amount and production of milk. Perfect for breastfeeding the baby.
It has few side effects, although the few they do have we have to take into account.
Where to buy it
It is difficult to find this tropical fruit. If we are lucky and know some shopkeeper If you bring tropical specimens, we can ask you to see if you can find a nearby crop. Although the probability is very low.
It can be obtained through the internetToday, few things are not found in the great Internet cloud. There are pages where they give us the opportunity to get it. We recommend conducting an investigation of the origin of the fruit so as not to be scammed.
You can find it from different ways:
- Seeds of guanabana.
- Capsule Collections of guanabana.
- Abstract of guanabana.
- Tea of guanabana.
Finally, if you are thinking of taking a trip, you can choose to include Peru on the itinerary and try fresh fruit in its natural state.