Ever heard of the Soursop?

Hello readers, hope you're in good health.
This isn't one of those posts about how my day went, but something entirely different.
I want to share with you something I recently learnt. I mean I knew a little about it but I got to know more about it after I got into the details.

It's about a fruit that I've been eating for so long but didn't know much about; the soursop fruit.
Now Google will tell you this kind of evergreen tree is native to the Americas and the Caribbean and is widely propagated worldwide which is so true because Ghana has a lot of these plants around.

The soursop

My dad is the one who brought my attention to the qualities of this wonderful fruit. In our home, we got trees like the jackfruit, the custard apple, the soursop, coconut 🥥, pawpaw, avocado 🥑 and oranges 🍊 which are all bearing fruits in abundance, especially the oranges, coconut and jackfruit.

***(from top to down) pawpaw, soursop, jackfruit.

My dad sometimes pluck leaves 🍃 of the soursop plant and boils them and then drinks the water or broth in which the leaves were boiled, just like tea. He always says it's healthy and also prevents many sicknesses. We all drink too of course, with the intention that it's gonna revitalise and help us to not get sick just like my father says.
Well unlike my siblings, I got a little more interested in this plant and decided to look it up on Google and I was honestly astonished and excited after I found out about the other incredible properties of this plant and its fruits; my dad was right about everything he did say about the soursop plant after all, just that there was more to it than he knew.

I've therefore decided to be a little useful to you by sharing with you what I've learnt and I hope it helps you too. It's possible that you know most of what I'm gonna talk about but for the sake of those who don't know, I'm gonna share them.

• The first importance of the soursop that I learnt from Google is that, it can kill cancer cells.
  Some studies show that the soursop fruit can be an alternative cure for cancer when eaten.

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Though this claim is not generally accepted by science, there have been numerous tests which have revealed how soursop extract can reduce tumors, kill off cancer cells, boost immune system and also stop the growth and formation of leukemia cells.

• The next thing I learnt about the soursop is that, it's extract can be used for killing bacteria. Again, this isn't widely proven by science but it works for people. Soursop extracts have been successfully used at varying concentrations, to kill bacteria that cause oral infections.

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The only issue with this is that, the concentrations that are needed for this type of bacteria eradication are far more greater than the concentrations in the normal fruit we eat and so it's therefore advisable to seek for help from experts before trying this method.

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The leaves of the soursop plant when boiled and drunk also gives many benefits such as

• Treating insomnia and eating stress. I've tried this and I'm not going to lie about it, it actually works. When you drink it, you sleep better. I've never had a problem with sleeping but drinking the water from the boiled leaves makes my sleeping even better.

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• helping in regulating diabetes: This is information I got on the internet but I haven't really heard anyone say this. I do hope it works for diabetics like people are saying.

• help in curing ulcers: I've heard this so many times; ulcer patients boiling the leaves and drinking it to get healed of their ulcers. Like I said, it really works for people but because of the absence or less information on the dosage and concentrations to be taken, it's not widely advised to be used. Also, it can be a little fatal if care is not taken.

Aside the boiling, the leaves also be crushed or ground into a paste form to serve purposes like, eliminating bedbugs, getting rid of lice on the head, treating skin eczema, healing skin eruptions and wounds, etc.

Upon all these potential healing properties of the soursop plant, it can have some side effects on the human system if not used correctly. It is even illegal to import to the USA because studies have shown that if the fruit is not ripened completely, its toxins can release glucose and reduce the blood sugar of the consumer which can be deadly in extreme cases.
Other possible side effects of the soursop if they are taken in large quantities or doses are,

• rigid muscles
• difficulties in movement
• eye defects.

To conclude, I'd like to say that the soursop plant is a wonderful plant which when carefully examined scientifically can put an end to many ailments killing humans worldwide. If it's working for some, it can work for others as well.

The soursop must be the panacea we've been searching for so long🙂

I hope you enjoyed reading and I also help whatever you learned be useful to you. Thanks for reading