It’s not one of my staple fruits yet, but I’ve been hearing about the amazing benefits of soursop for a while. It’s also been doing the rounds on Instagram.
It wasn’t until a family friend was diagnosed with cancer, and a couple of years later my mother with the same disease that I started looking into this strange looking fruit.
Growing in tropical regions across Africa, the Caribbean, South America, and Southeast Asia, the active ingredient annonaceous acetogenins, is said to hold all the power. Soursop’s highest claim to fame is that it cures cancer. Currently there is no medical/scientific evidence to prove this; and all claims are anecdotal.
According to Cancer Research UK, lab test have shown extracts of soursop killing certain types of breast and liver cancer cells. Tests have not been done in humans, so the charity does not endorse soursop as a treatment for cancer.
I thank God that my mother’s cancer was detected early and removed. Our family friend, who has an advanced stage of cancer, was told by doctors he wouldn’t see 2015, but is still alive today. He drinks the dried, powdered leaves of the soursop fruit sent from Ghana. He hasn’t been ‘cured’ of the cancer, but he’s still here and strong enough to stand unaided for at least an hour which wasn’t possible during his latter courses of chemotherapy.
Hamamat’s video made me want to try soursop even more!
https://instagram.com/p/BMEIhK0ggSW/
It’s not easy to find soursop in the UK and when you do it’s very expensive. It’s ironic because in Ghana, I’ve been told it’s not a fruit that’s revered much. Probably because in the tropics there are so many amazing fruits, soursop is just one of the bunch?
In tropical countries, the leaves of certain fruit and veg are used as food themselves or to preserve / aid in the cooking process. In addition to the anecdotal claims of fighting cancer, there are claims of various benefits of soursop leaves when eaten regularly, including fighting against arthritis, diabetes and gout, to name a few. When applied topically, it’s said to clear eczema, boils and blackheads.
I believe there are natural remedies which can help fight or even cure diseases and will start incorporating soursop into my diet from now on.
If you’ve tried it let me know what you think by commenting below.
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