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Important Things to Know About Soursop That Will Affect Your Health

Author: John Preston
by John Preston
Posted: Apr 03, 2015

Soursop is the fruit of the tree called Annona Muricata. This tree is a native to Mexico and in many parts of South America. It is also grown and cultivated in many countries in Asia, especially those in the South Pacific. The fruit is also called Graviola and Guanabana by some practitioners of alternative medicine.

What’s So Special about Soursop?

This fruit could just be another kind of fruit that is good to eat, except that some people claim that the Guanabana extract can be used to treat cancer. Conventional medicine however is quick to point out that there is no medical evidence to show that this fruit is effective as such.

Alternative Medicine Disagrees

It doesn’t matter how traditional medicine looks down on Soursop, those practicing alternative medicine are not dissuaded. The fact is: there are many, who have cancer in one form or another, believed that the Soursop extract is effective in alleviating the effects, and even completely reversing cancer development.

Understanding the Chemistry of Graviola

If you will examine the chemical composition of the Soursop, you will understand why some people believe that it can be used to treat cancer.

The fruit is high in carbohydrates, especially fructose. It contains vitamins C, B1, and B2 in large amounts. Calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and phosphorous have also been identified.

Annonaceous acetogenins, fatty acid derivatives, are the most-studied chemical components of its plant parts, with estimates of more than 40 distinct compounds. Annonacin is the predominant acetogenin. The alkaloids coreximine and reticuline have also been identified.

A glycoprotein lectin has been identified in the seeds of the Graviola ripe fruits, and N-fatty acyl tryptamines in the seeds have also been found.

These are the chemical elements that seem to give the Soursop pulp and its extract their cancer killing properties.

For instance, there are studies that revealed that the acetogenin compounds in the seeds, leaves, root, and stem bark of the Annona Muricata have potent cytotoxicity. That means their action against certain human cancer cell lines have been demonstrated in vitro.

In addition, Soursop is also an effective antimicrobial agent. A study showed that an ethanolic extract of the stem bark of this tree can fight against a clinical isolate and a standard strain of herpes simplex virus.

Safe Dosage of Soursop Extract

There is no specific information about the exact dosage you have to take if you want to use this extract to fight or prevent cancer. But there is one report that says the amount of annonacin taken by an adult who eats one fruit a day for one year is comparable to the intravenous dose used to induce brain lesions in rats.

One fruit contains around 15 mg of annonacin, while a can of commercial nectar contains around 36 mg.

For more information please visit our website: www.grinrealnature.com

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Author: John Preston

John Preston

Member since: Mar 24, 2015
Published articles: 371

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