Post by Trade facilitator on Oct 18, 2022 22:13:09 GMT 1
The Universe has blessed humanity with numerous life rejuvenating and health giving fruits. Among these is the soursop, a fruit that can be rightly regarded as a multipurpose fruit owing to its immense usefulness. It is a powerhouse of nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin B and a number of antioxidant compounds.
Soursop, also known as graviola, is an oblong tropical fruit with a white, fleshy edible interior and green spiky exterior. The soursop tree is an evergreen that can reach to about 9 meters and needs plenty of space, sunlight and warmth.
Soursop is the fruit of Annona muricata, a broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree. It is native to the tropical regions of the Americas and the Caribbean and is widely propagated. It is in the same genus, Annona, as cherimoya and is in the Annonaceae family according to Wikipedia.
What does soursop cure in the body?
Practitioners of herbal medicine use soursop fruit and graviola tree leaves to treat stomach ailments, fever, parasitic infections, hypertension and rheumatism. It's used as a sedative, as well.
Every part of the tree is medicinal and very useful to man. It is nutritious, medicinal and economical.
Soursop farming can be practiced in a warm and humid tropical region. It is an economic tree that is widely consumed in most part of the globe. The botanical name of soursop is Annona Muricata of the family Annonaceae.
The common name is soursop but it has several other names such as; Guyabano, Brazilian pawpaw, prickly custard apple etc. It is native to America but now widely grown all over the world including Nigeria.
The leaves are large; dark shiny green that appears leathery, the flowers are very large too with yellow or greenish-yellow colour.
Their fruits appear in a heart shape and are large with varying sizes and can grow anywhere in the trunk.
Spiny (small) shapes cover the body of the fruits. And have about 100 or more black non digestible seeds inside.
The pulp is very fleshy, soft and milky white in colour. The juice appears almost like a yoghurt drink, with acidic sour taste. The flesh can be eaten with bare hands. And can be used in making smoothies, candies, fruit juice, deserts etc.
The tree is small in size as such can be intercropped with large trees of other economic fruit trees. Soursop can be cultivated through seeds, cuttings (marcotting), budded and grafted seedlings.
How to start soursop farming:
To start commercial soursop farming you have to put these into consideration: land, seeds or seedling variety, space, manure, irrigation etc.
The land should be in a forested region or where it won’t be disturbed. If you already have a family land that is okay.
Use variety that produces big fruits. I will advise you go for hybrid soursop. It can resist pest and diseases, matures faster (3years), produce big and plenty fruits etc. Buy the seeds from established seed companies.
There are two varieties; the sweet soursop which is mostly for eating and the sour variety which is for processing.
The space should be large enough to accommodate the number of seedlings you want to plant.
Make provision for water, drip irrigation is ideal for soursop farming.
Benefits of soursop fruit in health care:
Herbs have tremendous impact on health care. Whether you add them to your food as spices or add them to your tea and juices, herbal products provide the body with tremendous health benefits.
One herb with tremendous benefits in wellness is soursop fruits. Belonging to the Annonaceae family (custard apple family), Soursop’s flavour is a cross between mango and pineapple.
Here’s all you need to know about the excellent benefits of Soursop in health care.
It Boosts Your Immune Health:
The most sought-after benefit of Soursop is its ability to build and improve immune systems. A great source of vitamin C, Soursop helps the body fight pathogens, protecting the skin from oxidization damage. Soursop fruit is also a great source of Phytosterols, which helps reduce blood cholesterol levels; tannins, a source of antimicrobial effects and Flavonoids, which help regulate cellular activity and fight against free radicals.
Drinking soursop tea acts as a preventative measure, defending the body against viruses and bacteria.
Fight Inflammation:
Free radicals in the body are not only a cause of illness; they are also a cause of stress and inflammation. The antioxidants contained in soursop fruits help with immune health and the treatment of inflammations and stress conditions, including: Asthma, Heart disease, Diabetes, Alzheimer disease, Arthritis.
By drinking soursop tea, you would enjoy relief from tensions and spasms caused by inflammation.
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