Soursop Guyabano Health Benefits and Medicinal Uses

Soursop or we call it Guyabano in the Philippines!

It All Begins With Guyabano

Do you love eating guyabano? Have you known of its many benefits? Do you know what guyabano is to begin with?

Guyabano, or soursop, is one of the most common Philippine fruits. Having the scientific name Annona muricata Linn., guyabano is a member of the Annonaceae family and a species of Annona genus. This species is known to produce edible fruits that have distinct sweet-sour taste. While in the Philippines it is known as guyabano, in other countries this fruit is known in different names. In Spain, it is known as guanabana while in Portugues, it is known as graviola. It is also named Brazilian pawpaw, laguana, sarifa, sirsak, Durian Belanda, corossol, zuurzak, sanalapa, mang cau gai, and prickly custard apple in other countries.

The guyabano fruit is said to contain vitamin C, phosphorus, and potassium. It is also rich in fiber, iron, and vitamins B1 and B2. Because of the presence of these vitamins and minerals, guyabano is known to have a lot of health benefits. In a lot of studies, guyabano has been cited as one of the medicinal plants that are readily available to people in tropical countries. One of soursop health benefits is that it enhances the immune system. The high concentration of vitamin C and fiber in guyabano makes the fruit a potent antioxidant that may slow the aging process. Traditionally, its leaves are crushed and applied on wounds on skin while its flesh is applied as a cataplasm for easy healing. Some people from different cultures extract juice from soursop while some would powder its flesh before applying the concoction on their open wounds.


You can eat its flesh raw or you can turn it into a shake (guyabano shake is very popular among Filipinos). Just be careful on its small, black seeds. They are not edible and when they are bitten, they taste really awful.
Many people eat soursop (Annona muricata Linn.) because of its sweet-sour taste. It is known to be one of the well-known Philippine fruits. Its tree has been described as a fruit-bearing and flowering tree. It has broad leaves and registers an evergreen color. Its leaves are oval to oblong in shape and its stems and branches are hairy. It usually grows about 4-6 meters high and bears medium to large flowers which have yellow to greenish-yellow color. The peak season where these flowers bloom is during May to June and these flowers produce the green, pear-shaped guyabano fruit. The fruit contains soft spines and is usually harvested when it is already mature and having green or yellowish green color.

Many books and studies stated that there are many health benefits of soursop. In many countries in the world, it is traditionally used as a treatment for head lice, and stomachaches, among others. Furthermore, by using it as a cataplasm, it promotes faster healing of wounds. It is rich in vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and Vitamins B1 and B2. Because of this, soursop has been known to enhance the immune system. It is also proven to be a potent antioxidant and treat swelling of foot and inflammation.

A lot of studies have been conducted to support these traditional medicinal uses of soursop and one of these proves that soursop can be useful in treating inflammation. Some studies show that it can be a good antioxidant and can treat bacteria infecting open wounds. You can use the extracted juice from its leaves and apply it onto your wound. You can also make a cataplasm using the flesh of guyabano and leave it onto your wound for a couple of days.
 FOR MORE INFO http://www.all-about-philippine-fruits-and-herbs.com/

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