Soursop (also known as sirsak, guanabana, graviola, paw-paw and Annona muricata) is a fruit found in hotter climates throughout Africa, the USA, Europe and India. It is spikey and green and can be round, triangular, elongated, or heart-shaped. Soursop is known for its strong sweet flavour.¹

There are more advantages to this fruit than its delicious flavour. This article will explore the potential health benefits of this tropical fruit and how you can incorporate it into your diet.

Nutritional profile of soursop

Soursop is a good source of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. The nutritional content of soursop is as follows:

• 148 calories 
• 2.25 grams of protein
• 7.42 grams of dietary fibre 
• 37.8 grams of carbohydrates 
• 30 grams of sugar

Furthermore, soursop is also an excellent source of antioxidants which are known to help protect against many diseases.²

Anticancer potential

The use of soursop in cancer prevention and treatment has demonstrated some exciting results and may be a promising treatment avenue in the future.

Pancreatic cancer

One example of this is the effect of soursop on pancreatic cancer cells in lab studies. One such study found that when capsules containing the stem and leaf powder of soursop were applied to pancreatic cancer cells it prevented cells from multiplying and caused cell death. It was thought that this effect was due to the ability of soursop to restrict the absorption of sugar in the cancer cells, essentially starving them.³ There is also evidence that soursop may potentially help to prevent pancreatic cancer cells from spreading in the body.⁴

Breast cancer 

Additionally, dietary soursop fruit extract seems to reduce tumour growth in mice who have been given grafts containing human breast cancer cells.⁵ 

Colon cancer

Another animal study using rats explored the effect of soursop on colon cancer. This study demonstrated that soursop leaf extracts were able to reduce the number of aberrant crypt foci (clusters of abnormal glands, an early manifestation that may develop into cancer in the colon) and therefore may help prevent colon cancer. Additionally, this extract was tested in test tube colon cancer cell lines, in which it was able to kill these cells and stop them from growing.⁶

Haematological (blood cell) cancers

Also in test tube studies looking at Haematological (blood cell) cancers, it was found that the extracts of soursop could effectively fight cancer cells including multidrug-resistant cancers (cancers that are difficult to treat with current medicines) and could be a potential source of future cancer medicines.⁷ 

Other cancers 

A similar effect has been illustrated in test tube studies on lung cancer and liver cancer cell lines and, with soursop leaf extracts seeming to have a ‘toxic’ effect on these cells, preventing them from growing and causing the death of the Lung cancer cells.^8,9 

Soursop Fruit extract has also demonstrated an anticancer effect when applied to prostate cancer cell lines in the lab, preventing them from multiplying ¹⁰. 

Moreover, it has been suggested that soursop may increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy medicines such as cisplatin if they are used together when addressing head and neck cancers.⁵

Fight infections

Soursop has demonstrated potentially promising results as an alternative way of treating bacterial, parasitic and viral infections.

Antibacterial effects

This includes having an effect against many bacteria causing oral diseases such as yeast infection, gingivitis and tooth decay. A test tube study showed that soursop leaf extract was able to kill a number of these microbes.¹¹ 

Similarly, in other test tube studies, soursop was found to work against other disease-causing bacteria such as Vibrio cholerae (the bacteria that causes cholera) and staphylococcus bacteria, demonstrating its potential to be used as an antibacterial agent.¹²

It is important to be aware that the concentration of soursop used in these studies was higher than what the average person would consume as part of a healthy diet.

Antiparasitic effects 

There is evidence suggesting that the gallic acid in soursop extract can help fight Plasmodium falciparum (a parasite that causes malaria), as soursop extracts were shown to be effective against malaria in test tube studies.¹³

Soursop may also help treat leishmaniasis (tropical parasitic disease affecting the skin/organs), and research has shown that soursop may potentially be able to kill Leishmania parasites.¹⁴

Extracts of soursop have also shown promise against Trypanosoma cruzii, the cause of Chagas disease.¹⁵

Antiviral effects

Additionally, a test tube study has found that soursop extracts may have some ability to prevent herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) damaging the host cells.¹⁶ 

Moreover, a more recent test tube study has found that soursop may potentially be useful in fighting COVID-19.¹⁷

Furthermore, a complex based on ellagic acid and soursop extract has been shown to decrease the number of abnormal pap smears in people assigned female at birth (AFAB) who have human papillomavirus (HPV), a virus that is known to increase the chance of cervical cancer.¹⁸

Inflammation prevention

Inflammation can be a result of injury or disease and can cause pain to the individual.¹⁹ Studies have shown that soursop potentially has some inflammation-busting abilities.

In one study soursop demonstrated the ability to reduce inflammation and swelling in rats ears and paws. Soursop fruit extract was found to have a comparable effect to the drug diclofenac (a type of anti-inflammatory drug) in preventing swelling.²⁰ 

Similarly, a mouse study showed that soursop could decrease mouse reaction time to pain by up to 96% after 90 minutes of treatment.²¹

Moreover, a further rat study suggested that soursop was able to cause a reduction in inflammatory markers that have been associated with arthritis.²²

Blood sugar stabiliser 

Diabetes is a major issue in the modern world with up to 4.3 million people suffering from it in the UK according to Diabetes UK.²³ The potential complications of this disease can be severe.²⁴ A few studies have demonstrated soursop’s potential as a blood sugar stabiliser.

In a study on diabetic rats, one group of rats was given soursop whilst the others were not treated. It was found that those rats treated with soursop had blood sugar levels 5 times less than that of rats that were not given treatment and were similar to that of rats without diabetes.²⁵ 

Another rat study demonstrated a 75% decrease in the blood sugar levels of diabetic rats when soursop was administered.²⁶

Potential issues with eating soursop

Before deciding to add Soursop to your diet, it is important to consider some potential risks.

Studies show that some dietary supplements containing soursop and the seeds of soursop may have neurotoxic (a substance that affects the normal function of the nervous system) effects.^{27, 28} However, it is seen in large doses, much higher than consumption in the average person.¹⁵ 

Soursop can potentially reduce blood sugar and blood pressure. You should talk to your doctor before consuming it if you are on diabetes or/and blood pressure medications, or are known to have low blood sugar or low blood pressure.^{29, 25}

Please make sure to talk to your doctor if you have any health concerns to ensure you get the best treatment possible. 

Note

It is important to bear in mind that these studies are mainly animal and test tube-based studies. More studies need to be done in humans to confirm these effects. Moreover, the concentration of soursop used in these studies would generally exceed that of the average consumer.

Summary

• Soursop is a tasty tropical fruit and a good source of vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and antioxidants
• It may have anticancer effects against a range of cancers including pancreatic, breast, colon, blood, lung, liver, head and neck and prostate cancer
• Some evidence suggests that it can help you fight a range of infections including bacteria that cause oral diseases, Cholera, Staphylococcus, Malaria, Leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, HPV, HSV-1, and COVID-19
• Soursop extracts have been shown to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetic mice and rats
• Additional animal studies demonstrated a reduction in inflammation, pain, and a decrease in inflammatory markers associated with arthritis
• It is important to note that soursop may not be appropriate for everyone and may not be for you if you are taking medicine for diabetes or blood pressure.
• Eating soursop can also be neurotoxic in large doses. It can be avoided by consuming in moderation and not consuming the seeds
• The studies mentioned are mostly test tube and animal studies. More studies need to be performed to confirm the effects in humans
• If you are worried about your health, talk to your doctor to make sure that you get the appropriate medical care