Soursop: The potential cancer curing fruit

by Shari Jayawardhana

There is a fruit that has the potential to revolutionise cancer treatment and offer more hope than chemotherapy. It is known as Soursop due to its pleasant, slightly acidic taste, when ripe.

Its flavour has been described as a combination of strawberry and pineapple, with an underling flavour of banana and coconut. Annona Muricata belongs to the genus Annona and belongs to the "Custard Apple" family.

This prickly custard apple is commonly known in Sinhala as Katu Aatha or Anoda. It is a tropical fruit which can be found in South and North America including in the Amazon as well as in South East and South Asia. It is a highly aromatic fruit which consists of a white juicy flesh. It has become widely popular in Sri Lanka as a delicious juice that is being served in many restaurants and eating houses.

In the recent past, the soursop fruit was highlighted in the global media as a cancer fighting fruit as it was found to be 1,000 times more effective than chemotherapy. Soursop consists of annonaceous acetogenins, which inhibits the development of damaged cells just before they could become cancerous.

Soursop has been found to be specifically effective in preventing breast cancer. The soursop fruit is borne on upright evergreen plants which grow to be five to six metres in height. Its leaves are large, dark and glossy. The soursop fruit is heart shaped and has a prickly green soft skin.

The fruit is 20-30 cm long and may weigh up to about up to about 7 kg. The soursop plant is cultivated in Sri Lanka as a commercial crop. Beyond its tough prickly exterior, lies the edible, white, soft and sweet flesh of the fruit.

This pulp also consists of dark, shiny black seeds. A tree can yield up to about 100kg of fruit per year for about 15 years. Generally the fruit is picked from the tree before it is fully ripened as it will be squashed and busied if it is left to fall off the tree after ripening.

Fibrous

Although there are various seedless varieties of this fruit, the flesh is often found to be very fibrous.

Besides its cancer fighting properties, the fruit is also known as an agent to cure bacterial and fungal infections. It is also found to be effective against internal parasites and worms. It is known to lower high blood pressure and is used to treat depression, stress and nervous disorders.

Various parts of the Katu Aatha tree including the bark, leaves, roots and seeds have been used for centuries by traditional health practitioners in Sri Lanka to treat heart disease, asthma, liver problems and arthritis. It has also been used as an agent to induce labour during child birth. The juice of the soursop has been shown to be effective in healing wounds and relieving pain. The leaves of the fruit are utilised to treat backaches, dermatitis, mouth ulcers, acne and swelling of the sinus, nose and throat.

It is also frequently used for aromatherapy. The seeds of the soursop can be used in the treatment of vomiting.

Soursop contains many vitamins including vitamin C and several B vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin and niacin, along with calcium, phosphorus and a small amount of iron. The high concentration of Vitamin C in the fruit is beneficial in dealing with the common cold and flu, cough and blocked nose. The riboflavin in the fruit aids in the prevention of migraines. Soursop also consists of Tryptophan, a chemical substance which encourages sleepiness as well as relaxation.

The iron that is present in this prickly green fruit helps in the prevention of a common blood disorder known as anemia, which is where the blood lacks sufficient healthy red blood cells.

Range

Although soursop has been commonly made into a juice in Sri Lanka, in the recent past, many local companies have devised creative ways of utilising the fruit. A range of products are now manufactured using the taste and goodness of soursop. Some of the local products that are made using sour sap include ice-creams, Black Tea, Green Tea, cordial and puree.

Soursop has been used since ancient times as a cure for various health conditions. Extensive research has been conducted to understand the nutrient composition of this fruit and how it can aid in the cure of one of the most disruptive health conditions of our time: Cancer.

While we may not fully understand all its health benefits, it is safe to say that regular intake of soursop will contribute towards our physical and mental well-being.

Next time you are ordering a fresh juice from a restaurant, choose the soursop drink and enjoy the host of health benefits that come with it.