Soursop which is botanically known as Annona muricata belongs to the family of custard apple tree, Annonaceae. It has various names like showerchop and shawachop in Nigeria, guanabana in Spanish, graviola in Philippines, guyabano in Malay, etc. The fruit is called soursop due to its slightly acidic taste when ripe. It is widely cultivated, even in tropical climates throughout the world and it is not only a delicious fruit, but also has health and medicinal benefits. Below are a few important facts to know about soursop;

• It belongs to a group of ‘compound’ fruits like golden melon because of its flavour which is described as a combination of strawberry, pineapple and sour citrus with a creamy texture like of banana. The fruit has an edible, white pulp, some fiber, and a core of indigestible, black seeds.
• The pulp can be used to make smoothies, fruit juice drinks, as well as candies and ice cream flavorings.
• The fruit is rich in vitamin C, vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and some amounts o B9. It also contains Carbohydrates, Sugar, Dietary fiber, fat, Protein, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Sodium.
• “Laboratory studies by Cancer Research UK showed graviola extracts can kill some types of liver and breast cancer cells that are resistant to particular chemotherapy drugs. But there haven’t been any large scale studies in humans. So we don’t know yet whether it can work as a cancer treatment or not.” — Source: Wikipedia

Moreso, recent studies have described how extracts of Soursop reduces blood sugar in diabetics by improving insulin production, it improves cardiovascular health by reducing blood fats, stops diarrhoea in children.

Soursop is a healthy fruit to be consumed moderately. And as the fruit seem to be available in Nigerian markets this season, do take an advantage of it by consuming worthwhile amount of it.

Have a nice day😗

Reference:
Eating Soursop to Beat Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer
http://www.nigeriagalleria.com/Health_Lifestyle/Health_Diet/Soursop_to_beat_diabetes_cancer.html

Soursop
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soursop