Soursop, also known as Graviola, is one of those little-known tropical fruits outside of the areas from which it originates, but which is beginning to gain a foothold in more markets and is beginning to be seen in the lists of healthiest foods and that prevent more diseases. The soursop leaf benefits can be consumed in many ways, but today we want to talk about its leaves. Keep reading and learn what soursop leaf is for, its properties and benefits for our body, how soursop leaf is prepared in tea and also the contraindications it has.
Soursop leaf benefits and properties
Soursop, both the fruit and its leaf, is one of the so-called superfoods that is becoming popular as a great ally in the prevention of diseases, since among other nutrients it contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and vitamin C. Both the fruit and the leaves are full of properties and benefits for our health. Among the main properties of the soursop leaf we can highlight the following:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Analgesic
- Anticancer
- Relaxing
- Hypotensive
- Healing
- Diuretic
- Aids in the production of collagen and elastin
Thanks to these properties, the leaves of the soursop or Graviola have numerous benefits for the organism. Once the fruit is eaten, remember to keep the leaves as they will bring great benefits to your body. These are the main benefits of soursop leaf:
- It improves the immune system by increasing defenses.
- Among its medicinal benefits and uses, the treatment of eczema stands out, since it relieves pain or itching that can cause on the skin and deflates it.
- It is a good natural digestive.
- Relieves muscle aches.
- It helps prevent diabetes and reduce hyperglycemia, at which time there are high levels of glucose or blood sugar.
- Improves rheumatic pain.
- It favors the absorption of iron, so a frequent medicinal use is to take it in cases of iron deficiency anemia as a reinforcement of the treatment.
- It lowers blood pressure, so it is used in cases of hypertension, as long as it is kept in mind if any medication is taken precisely for it and the doctor is consulted.
How to prepare soursop or Graviola leaf?
The fruit is eaten ripe, in smoothies or juices, for example, and the usual way to prepare soursop leaves for consumption is in tea or infusion, as this way their properties are preserved to the maximum. Preparing soursop leaf tea or Graviola is very simple and you only need these ingredients and follow these instructions:
Ingredients
- 1 liter of water.
- 10 or 15 soursop leaves (better if they are fresh, but can also be used dry).
- Juice of half a lemon.
- A tablespoon of honey.
Steps to prepare the soursop leaf.
- Bring a liter of water to a boil and, when it reaches its boiling point, add all the soursop leaves.
- Keep on low heat for 30 minutes.
- When the water has been cut in half, strain the liquid into a cup and wait for it to warm up or cool down.
- Add the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon of honey. They are optional but many people add these ingredients to improve the flavor. However, keep in mind that if, for example, you are a diabetic, you will have to think carefully whether you put honey or not to count the dose of insulin.
- Stir so that the lemon and honey are well integrated and your soursop leaf tea is ready to drink.
Soursop leaf contraindications
Despite its many benefits and properties for the body, soursop leaves also have some contraindications. If you suffer from any of these diseases or find yourself in one of these situations, you should not consume Graviola leaves or, at least, you should consult your doctor before doing so. These are the main contraindications of soursop leaf:
- Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take soursop leaves because it can affect the quality of milk and not all of the possible effects on the fetus are well understood.
- Hypotension: If you have low blood pressure, its consumption is totally inadvisable since one of the side effects of soursop is to lower the blood pressure.
- Hypertension with medication: if you have high blood pressure, taking soursop should not be a problem since among its contraindications is to lower blood pressure, not raise it. The problem is that it can intercede in the medications used to treat hypertension, so we recommend consulting your doctor if you take medication to control your tension.
- Parkinson’s: One of the components of soursop, the alkaloid anonamine can aggravate the symptoms of this disease.
- Diabetes: This fruit has effects on sugar levels and can cause drops in it, so if you are diabetic you should not consume it without controlling glucose levels well. We advise you to consult your doctor since, sometimes, it is recommended to regulate diabetes, it will depend on your situation and degree of illness.
- Other medications: There are various medications with which these leaves can interfere, if you are taking any medication on a regular basis, we advise you to go to your doctor or specialist who will inform you and resolve your doubts and will be able to tell you if the consumption of Soursop leaves with your medication.
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