5 Amazing Soursop Benefits: Beyond Nerve Health

If there is a tree, then more than likely a Jamaican has enjoyed its contents (leaves, fruits, or roots, etc.) in some way or another (i.e., made into tea, simply eaten, boiled, or fried, especially in rural areas). So, soursop will not be an unknown to many Jamaicans.

Soursop is a fruit that can be eaten all year round, as it is not necessarily seasonal.  All parts of the tree reportedly can be consumed due to their varied medicinal and pharmacological properties. However, there have been a lot of anecdotal soursop benefits over the years, particularly, it being a fruit that can benefit the nervous system. But do these have any scientific backing? Are there any other benefits of this tropical fruit  Let’s Discuss!

The Discussion

Soursop (Annona muricata Lin.), better known as guanabana, graviola or even Brazilian paw paw (Moghadamtousi et al. 2015; De Souza et al. 2009).  The studies of plants as a source of medicine due to their natural compounds have been garnering increasing interest over the years, and soursop fruit is certainly in that lineup.

Soursop reportedly have various compounds that have been proven to have pharmacological activities. Research contends that it has been traditionally used as a medicine for skin disease, bacterial infections, respiratory conditions, diabetes, fever, hypertension and even cancer (Moghadamtousi et al. 2015; De Souza et al. 2009). It is also known for its nerve health properties, which were one of the common traditional uses of the fruit. 

The tree produces fruits all year round, with different parts having different activities. For example, the seeds are usually studied for their parasitic capabilities; as such, they may help in treating infections. The fruit itself is usually used traditionally for the treatment of arthritis, diarrhoea and most famously, the nervous system. 

The leaves, which are commonly consumed, may also reportedly be able to help with headaches, sleeping disorders (i.e. insomnia) and even cancer (Wélé et al. 2004).  It is also used to treat inflammation (Nugraha et al. 2019) – soursop-1 and cystitis (Moghadamtousi et al. 2015). Research also contends that the seeds may help to increase the production of breast milk for lactating women (Pieme et al. 2014).

The compounds that are largely responsible for its medicinal and pharmacological activities are ‘acetogenins.’  It is denoted as the main active compounds of the fruit (Coria-Téllez et al. 2018).  Acetogenins can be found in its leaves, bark, fruits and roots.  Other compounds that contribute to its many health benefits include alkaloids and flavonoids (Coria-Téllez et al. 2018).

Other compounds of soursop include alkaloids, flavonoids and essential oils (Coria-Téllez et al. 2018; Gyamfi et al. 2011).  It also has vitamins (i.e.vitamine C, E, folate, carotenoids) and minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, potassium, etc (Gyamfi et al. 2011).  It is also rich in fiber and protein.  You can check out its full nutrition facts here.

In this article, we’ll be exploring five (5) scientific health benefits of consuming soursop. These include being able to regulate blood sugar, anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer, helping with gastrointestinal issues, and cholesterol.  I will also explore any noted side effects or toxicology concerns, as well as how you can add it to your diet.

5 Amazing Soursop Benefits

• It may help to regulate blood sugar.
• It may help with high blood pressure
• It may be anti-cancer.
• It may help with Gastrointestinal Issues.
• It may help with Cholesterol.

Soursop and Blood Sugar Regulation

One of the main therapeutic strategies when it comes to the treatment of diabetes is the lowering of hyperglycemia.  Hyperglycemia is defined as having too much glucose in the bloodstream, which is often linked to diabetes.  

The pulp of the soursop fruit reportedly may help to lower hyperglycemia due to its ability to inhibit two (2) key enzymes (amylase and glucosidase (Adefegha et al. 2015; Agu et al. 2019). 

These two (2) enzymes are said to have a significant influence on one’s glucose levels, so when blocked, they may reduce the glucose levels in the blood, especially after eating.  This was observed in a study conducted by K.C. Agu and colleagues in 2019 with rats. 

According to the study, the rats were treated with methanol extracts from the soursop fruit pulp for twenty-eight (28) days. The study showed a decrease not only of those two (2) key enzymes, but also how fat is distributed and stored in the body, in this case, the blood (K.C. Agu et al. 2019).

Another study by Gong and Colleagues in 2012 produced similar results, where the inhibition of the two (2) key enzymes considerably reduced blood sugar levels after eating (Gong et al. 2019). The seed is also said to have similar effects when it comes to inhibiting these two (2) key enzymes (Adefegha et al. 2015).  According to research, the compounds largely responsible for this inhibitory effect are the phenols and flavonoids (Adefegha et al. 2015).

Other studies have also shown that the oil from the soursop seed may be able to reduce type-1 diabetes (Pinto et al. 2018).   Additionally, the fruit itself may be able to protect the liver cells from free radicals and other oxidant damage (Alwan et al. 2020).  

The fermentation of the fruit is also said to prevent the development of diabetes as it has been shown to inhibit the activities of the key enzymes indicated above (Barros et al. 2020).

Soursop and High Blood Pressure

Hypertension is a term that describes the elevation of one’s blood pressure. When an individual’s blood pressure is high, this pressure affects the arteries. Constantly high blood pressure may increase one’s risk of congestive heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease, etc. (American Heart Association, 2017).

The blood pressure management effects of soursop are due to its phenolic compounds and alkaloids (A. Nayak and K. Hegde, 2021).  These compounds help to manage uric acid production, which, if high, will lead to high blood pressure (A. Nayak and K. Hegde, 2021).  

Studies have shown that the administration of soursop fruit supplement for twelve (12) weeks reduces blood pressure and uric acid levels in the blood (serum uric acid). The dosage for the supplement was 250 and 500 mg/kg of body weight of the soursop leaf extract. The leaves were also combined with n-butanol (Alatas et al. 2020).

Soursop and Cancer

Cancer is a complex health issue. Sometimes, it does not matter what you do, how healthy you live your life, it may just come upon you. However, certain compounds found in the leaves of soursop have been shown to have inhibitory effects on several types of cancers in humans, especially breast, liver, small intestine and renal cancers (Berumen-Varela et al. 2020).

Soursop’s major compound – acetogenins, is found by research to have cytotoxic activities against colon cancer (Hansra et al. 2014).  However, several parts of the tree have been found to have anti-cancer activities, such as the fruit, stems, seeds and twigs (Drishya et al. 2020). 

Additionally, extracts from the leaves, twigs and roots have been shown to prevent the proliferation of leukaemia cell lines in humans (Pieme et al. 2014).  Further, certain enzymes from the leaves may help to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells (Yang et al. 2015).

Research suggests that just a fifty (50%) percent extract of the leaves may help to prevent cellular damage (Son et al. 2016).  Additionally, the consumption of just five (5) grams of the leaf extract powder and seeds was found to help with the healing of patients with colon cancer (Hansra et al. 2014). 

It must be noted that the extract was consumed three (3) times per day, and patients also had to make lifestyle changes.

Soursop and Gastrointestinal Issues

Studies have shown that the leaves and bark of the soursop tree may help with gastrointestinal issues such as gastritis and indigestion (Bento et al. 2016).  The compounds mainly responsible for these effects are flavonoids, tannins, and phenolic acids, as well as their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (Bento et al. 2016; Quilez et al. 2015).

Soursop and Cholesterol

According to research, the leaves of the soursop tree comprise substances or compounds like flavonoids, tannins and alkaloids which may be able to reduce blood cholesterol (Ramatillah et al. 2017).  To benefit from its cholesterol-lowering ability, research purports the consumption of 3 to 5 doses of the soursop leaf extract daily.

The leaf must be boiled until the water remains; at this point, it will become more of a very concentrated liquid. Additionally, ninety (96%) percent of the ethanol extract of the leaves was also said to be able to reduce total plasma cholesterol (Ramatillah et al. 2017).  Plasma cholesterol refers to the concentration of cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Soursop Side Effects

Studies have shown that high consumption of the leaf aqueous extract (1g/kg), which is reportedly higher than the daily recommended consumption, can cause hypoglycemia and hyperlipidemia conditions (Arthur et al. 2011). The same research also purports that doses greater than 5 grams or kg may cause kidney damage (Arthur et al. 2011).

Additionally, research by Rady and Colleagues in 2018 also observed that the consumption of the fruit daily for 1 year may contribute to neurodegenerative disorders (Rady et al. 2018).  As such, continuous or excessive consumption is not recommended.  So, it is best to take breaks in consumption and to enjoy it in moderation.

How to Add Soursop to Your Diet

You can add soursop to your diet by consuming the fruit as is, after removing the skin. You can also juice it, which is a common way it is consumed in Jamaica, especially as part of our traditional Sunday dinner or anytime you can get access to the fruit. If you can get access to the leaves, you can clean them and let them dry and enjoy them as a tea.

You can also purchase the fruit in powdered form, in tablets or capsules, especially if you do not have access to the fruit or leaves and want to add it to your diet. However, always consult with your healthcare provider if you are going to add it to your diet as a supplement.

Illustrative Summary

Here is an illustrative summary of SOURSOP BENEFITS and  SIDE EFFECTS!

Let’s Sum Up!

Soursop has been used for many years both as medicine and as food.  All parts of the tree reportedly have pharmacological properties. For example, its seeds, leaves, fruit and bark and even the roots.

Soursop and its various parts have been used traditionally to treat conditions such as diabetes, infections, cholesterol, and other ailments. As such, it is an excellent fruit to consume for overall health.

It should be noted that one of the traditional uses of soursop was for nerve health.  Research has also confirmed that it does benefit the nerve by acting as a nervine, which was one of the main traditional uses of the fruit.

However, while the fruit comprises nutritional benefits, excessive consumption may cause neurodegenerative disorders and even damage to the kidneys.  As such, excessive and continuous consumption is not recommended.

So, now that we have explored soursop and its tree in general, is it a fruit that you have consumed? Do you have access to it? Is it part of your health and wellness routine? Share it Nuh!

You can read more on other fruits that are noted ‘nutritional powerhouses’ in the articles below, as well as a soursop recipe:

• Blueberries – They are more than just for brain health!
• Beetroot – It’s more than just a Dietary Nitrate Powerhouse!
• Cranberries – The little red berries with some huge health benefits.
• Soursop Punch