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soursop
sketch of soursop

SWIFT SOURSOP 

The warmest of welcome to you all to the very special
black and white soursop

There is an increase in diseases that are related to modern diet. A significant reason for this, is related to an unhealthy diet. Unhealthy diet is one that is rich in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, added sugars and processed ingredients or contains too few nutrients. 


On the other hand, a healthy diet is one that provides sufficient levels of minerals, protein, vitamins, carbohydrate and healthy fats from a variety of foods that the human body needs to grow, maintain itself and function properly. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020, healthy eating patterns support a healthy body weight and can help prevent and reduce the risk of chronic disease throughout periods of growth, development, and aging as well as during pregnancy. 

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According to the World Health Organization, nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs. Good nutrition, meaning rich and well-balanced diet, as well as regular physical activity, are the key elements for good health. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity (2015).
 

What is a Soursop fruit?

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.

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The soursop is adapted to areas of high humidity and relatively warm winters; temperatures below 5 °C (41 °F) will cause damage to leaves and small branches, and temperatures below 3 °C (37 °F) can be fatal. The fruit becomes dry and is no longer good for concentrate.


With an aroma similar to pineapple, the flavour of the fruit has been described as a combination of strawberries and apple with sour citrus flavour notes, contrasting with an underlying thick creamy texture reminiscent of banana.

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Soursop is defined as a superfood. The Oxford English dictionary defines a superfood as “any food considered especially nutritious or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being’’. A great range of foods are considered superfoods, for example pomegranate, acai, goji berries, sea buckthorn (hippophae), green tea, diktamo tea, gingko biloba, turmeric, saffron and walnuts. Overall, about 100 foods have been categorized as ‘superfoods’ or ‘functional food’ which is the scientific terminology.
 

Superfoods improve health and also offer wellness. Many recent scientific researches prove that superfoods are:

  • nutrient dense and diverse,

  • have the ability to prevent various diseases,

  • they have antioxidant effects,

  • help the detoxification of the body and are a first-class food choice for all the people who wish to maintain their weight at a constant level.

The last decade has seen a 20% increase in consumption of superfoods worldwide.

soursop hanging from tree
soursop fruits.png

Benefits of SourSop

Top benefits of Soursop:

01.
Antioxidant properties 

Antioxidants keep the body’s cells healthy by hunting disease-causing free radicals in the body and destroying them. 

Soursop extract has many compounds with antioxidant abilities. 

These include: 

• tannins 

• saponins 

• phytosterols 

• flavonoids 

• anthraquinones 

Antioxidants help people stay healthy overall. 

02.
Anti-inflammatory properties 

Soursop features anti-inflammatory properties that may be used to relieve discomfort. The phytochemical acetogenins, alkaloids, and megastigmanes and phenolic compounds such as quercetin and gallic acid, are thought to be the compounds responsible for these anti-inflammatory properties. 

In lab settings Soursop has been shown to block pain receptors and reduced inflammation in rats. 

03.
May help lower blood sugar 

Soursop has been shown to help people regulate their blood sugar if they have diabetes. Inhibiting key enzymes (α amylase and α glucosidase) responsible for the starch breakdown and glucose assimilation would provide a nutraceutical option for disease management. The activity of the enzymes α amylase and α glucosidase does take a significant impact on blood glucose levels—blocking these enzymes may reduce the glucose levels in the blood after eating considerably . In a study, rats were treated with methanol extracts of soursop for 28 days after which pancreatic and blood tissue samples were collected for α-amylase assay. In vitro inhibitory properties of methanol, ethyl acetate, and dichloromethane extracts from various parts of the plant on α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities were performed using standard procedures. This study showed that the soursop fruit pulp can hinder α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity and decreased fat deposition in the blood. 

04.
Calming

Serotonin is a key hormone for bodily functions as well as stabilizing moods, feelings of happiness, and wellness. It also helps with sleeping. Drinking soursop tea or consuming powdered Soursop fruit promotes the release of serotonin which helps in calming the body. In the West Indies, Soursop is commonly used as a calming agent. In the Netherlands Antilles, the leaves are brewed to make a beverage that enhances sleep. The leaves can also be put into one's pillowcase to enhance sleep. For this reason, a soursop leaf tea can be a great natural supplement to relieve the body of stress and sleep deprivation. 

05.
Immune Boosting

The Soursop fruit is high in the immune boosting vitamin, vitamin C. This is crucial to the overall health of the body in its efforts to fight off infections (both bacterial and viral). We know that white blood cells contain 20 times the amount of vitamin C than other cells and require constant replenishment to keep the immune system working to its optimum capacity.

Soursop is also packed with immune boosting compounds which enhance the immune activity in macrophage cells due to the activation of certain pathways.

Another 2016 research article published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine reported that, “bioactive properties of Soursop indicate its potential as a health-promoting ingredient to boost the immune system.”

06.
May help lower blood pressure 

People often use Soursop as a folk remedy to lower blood pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure may increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. 

​The soursop fruit carries the phenolic compounds and alkaloids which can lower BP and control the uric acid production in hyperuricemia patients. Different studies have proved that after a 12-week therapy period, using soursop fruit supplements can reduce blood pressure and serum uric acid levels.

two soursop fruits

07.
May help prevent ulcers 

Soursop has been shown to have anti-ulcer abilities. Soursop fruit has also been shown to accelerate wound healing because of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds it contains

.It also helps protect the stomach’s mucous lining and prevents free radical damage to the digestive tract. 

08.
Help Reduce Appetite and Cravings

Overweight and obesity have increased sharply since the early 1980s in the United States and worldwide. These factors raise health concerns as they increase risks for a variety of diseases including type II diabetes, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, and certain cancers premature death. 

According to World Health Organization overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. Previously considered a problem only in high income countries, but nowadays overweight and obesity are dramatically on the rise in low-income and middle-income countries too, especially in urban settings (World Health Organization, 2015).

Reports of international and national experts and reviews of the current scientific evidence recommend goals for nutrient intake in order to prevent chronic diseases. These recommendations must be considered while preparing national policies and adapting dietary patterns, taking into consideration the local situation. Improving dietary habits is not just an individual, but a societal problem as well (World Health Organization, 2015).

 

Soursop consumption is associated with weight loss because it is a fruit that is high in fibre – up to 83% of your recommended daily allowance. Fibre helps fill you up and feel full for longer, which helps those attempting to maintain a caloric deficit in order to lose weight. It also promotes regular digestion and prevents constipation.

09.
May have Anticancerous properties 

There is some evidence that Soursop may help against some types of cancer. 

The annonaceous acetogenins found in the soursop fruit and leaf showed strong inhibitory effects against human cancers such as airways, breast, small intestine, liver, and renal cancers. Medicinal herbs can be a beneficial or complementary addition to standard cancer treatments. The soursop leaves are used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments. They have increased flavonoid concentration compared to the roots and stalks.

Annonaceous acetogenins present in this fruit have shown significant antitumor properties. In the leaves of A. muricata, 34 acetogenins have been isolated. Acetogenins have been shown to have higher toxicity in tumorous cells than in normal ones. Many plant antioxidants, including quercetins, flavonoids, and flavones (2-phenyl-4H-1benzopyran-4-one), have been found to have chemopreventive effects, reducing the occurrence of many types of cancers, especially in the intestinal epithelium. Natural polyphenols, such as flavones, flavonols, isoflavones, catechins, and anthocyanins were demonstrated to possibly prevent cancer, with respect to the research and implications of these chemicals on human health.

Daddiouaissa et al. studied human breast cancer cells (MCF-7); they used an ionic liquid extract of soursop extract (IL-GFE) and observed the cytokinetic behaviour of the cells. Additionally, the distribution of the cell cycle and the mechanism of apoptosis of IL-GFE action on MCF-7 cancer cells were determined. They concluded that the growth of tumour cells can be reduced by using ionic liquid extract of soursop.

soursop fruit in background

About Us

History
swift soursop logo

My dear grandmother was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer on 21/12/20. She was given 3 months to live. In her pursuit for health, mum gave it her all each and every day. Sadly, she passed away from us on 16/12/21. This passing was almost 12 months to the day since she received her heart-breaking diagnosis.

She decided to follow a treatment path that involved both conventional and complementary therapies. A major component of her complementary therapy regimen was Soursop. This combined approach enabled her to surpass the 3-month time line by a whole 9 additional months. We are so proud of her. This experience, which is still ever so painful, really opened our family’s eyes to the power of natural health supplements and how they can be used to direct health.

 

With her passing she left my daughter and I a five acre plot of sustainable organic agricultural land in Guyana which is the southernmost region of the West Indies. We plan to continue using this land to share the blessing we were given in terms of growth, production and promotion of the soursop fruit.

THE GLISTENING FUTURE

My grandmother always said that the purpose of life is to help your fellow man. And in our case what better way is there to help your fellow man than to offer assistance to some of the most needy and less fortunate farmers in the region.

 

Even though Guyana is progressing from where it was 10 years ago, hardship is still ever present in the rural regions.

At Swift Soursop we believe we can play our part in tackling poverty and social inequality by helping people with improvements in their finances thus allowing them to have more control of the lives they live. And it is our goal that these positive impacts directly influence

several aspects of their lives in particular access to better:

housing

Health care

Education for their children

 

We believe in thinking differently and our long term dream is to increase the growth of Soursop and empower local farmers to work together and help provide a service for both the locals in the area and beyond on the international circuit. Our vision is to create:

  • An organic farm - Our dream is to primarily utilise the entire 10 acre plot and convert it into an organic Soursop plantation

  • A sustainable entity  - a permanent market offering a wisely selected inventory of tropical fruits, smoothies, juices and fruit jams. This will allow the local community, to support the farm. Having a storefront would allow us to serve a greater number of the population and also to provide increased visibility for the farm.

  • Right now Guyanese Soursop doesn’t make the grade because farmers lack access to basics amenities. So we plan to tackle this by teaching local farmers what we do and allowing them to learn best practices on our farm. We will take time to educate them so that they understand the conditions necessary for development and optimum growth. Then we support them back on their own farms with high-quality seeds, fertilizer, and on-site advice when problems crop up. We also quarantee to buy their Soursop , so they know they will get a fair price once it's time to harvest. The farmers we work with can make up to four times more income!

  • Our company then plans to make the Guyana’s first homegrown Soursop powder on a medium to large scale. Our plan is to distribute and hit the shelves in the UK, Caribbean and the rest of Europe.

 

As I said at the beginning of this piece that grandmother always said that the purpose of life is to help your fellow man. Words can not describe what it will mean to us all to have Grandmother’s favourite saying come to fruition.

 

Now because of the health concerns Grandmother had in her last year with us, what better legacy to leave than using the land, to help others all across the globe in their quest for health, prosperity and happiness.

Papers Supporting benefits of Soursop

  1. George VC, Kumar DR, Suresh PK, et al. Antioxidant, DNA protective efficacy and HPLC analysis of Annona muricata (soursop) extracts. J Food Sci Technol. Apr 2015;52(4):2328-2335.

  2. Zamudio-Cuevas Y, Diaz-Sobac R, Vazquez-Luna A, et al. The antioxidant activity of soursop decreases the expression of a member of the NADPH oxidase family. Food Funct. Feb 2014;5(2):303-309. 

  3. Gavamukulya Y, Abou-Elella F, Wamunyokoli F, et al. Phytochemical screening, anti-oxidant activity and in vitro anticancer potential of ethanolic and water leaves extracts of Annona muricata (Graviola). Asian Pac J Trop Med. Sep 2014;7s1:S355-363.

  4. Lee YH, Choo C, Watawana MI, et al. An appraisal of eighteen commonly consumed edible plants as functional food based on their antioxidant and starch hydrolase inhibitory activities. J Sci Food Agric. 2015 Nov;95(14):2956-64.

  5. Ishola IO, Awodele O, Olusayero AM, et al. Mechanisms of analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of Annona muricata Linn. (Annonaceae) fruit extract in rodents. J Med Food. Dec 2014;17(12):1375-1382.

  6. de Sousa OV, Vieira GD, de Jesus RGdPJ, et al. Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract of Annona muricata L. leaves in animal models. Int J Mol Sci. 2010;11(5):2067-2078.

  7. Florence NT, Benoit MZ, Jonas K, et al. Antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of Annona muricata (Annonaceae), aqueous extract on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. J Ethnopharmacol. Feb 3 2014;151(2):784-790.

  8. Moghadamtousi SZ, Rouhollahi E, Karimian H, et al. Gastroprotective activity of Annona muricata leaves against ethanol-induced gastric injury in rats via Hsp70/Bax involvement. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2014;8:2099-2110.

  9. Padma P, Pramod NP, Thyagarajan SP, et al. Effect of the extract of Annona muricata and Petunia nyctaginiflora on Herpes simplex virus. J Ethnopharmacol. May 1998;61(1):81-83.

  10. Mohd Abd Razak MR, Afzan A, Ali R, et al. Effect of selected local medicinal plants on the asexual blood stage of chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14(1):492.

  11. Jaramillo MC, Arango GJ, Gonzalez MC, et al. Cytotoxicity and antileishmanial activity of Annona muricata pericarp. Fitoterapia. Apr 2000;71(2):183-186.

  12. Moghadamtousi SZ, Kadir HA, Paydar M, et al. Annona muricata leaves induced apoptosis in A549 cells through mitochondrial-mediated pathway and involvement of NF-kappaB. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:299.

  13. Zorofchian Moghadamtousi S, Karimian H, Rouhollahi E, et al. Annona muricata leaves induce G(1) cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through mitochondria-mediated pathway in human HCT-116 and HT-29 colon cancer cells. J Ethnopharmacol. Oct 28 2014;156:277-289.

  14. Asare GA, Afriyie D, Ngala RA, et al. Antiproliferative activity of aqueous leaf extract of Annona muricata L. on the prostate, BPH-1 cells, and some target genes. Integr Cancer Ther. Jan 2015;14(1):65-74.

  15. Torres MP, Rachagani S, Purohit V, et al. Graviola: a novel promising natural-derived drug that inhibits tumorigenicity and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo through altering cell metabolism. Cancer Lett. Oct 1 2012;323(1):29-40.

  16. Dai Y, Hogan S, Schmelz EM, et al. Selective growth inhibition of human breast cancer cells by graviola fruit extract in vitro and in vivo involving downregulation of EGFR expression. Nutr Cancer. 2011;63(5):795-801.

  17. Liaw CC, Chang FR, Lin CY, et al. New cytotoxic monotetrahydrofuran annonaceous acetogenins from Annona muricata. J Nat Prod. Apr 2002;65(4):470-475.

  18. Hamizah S, Roslida AH, Fezah O, et al. Chemopreventive potential of Annona muricata L leaves on chemically-induced skin papillomagenesis in mice. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2012;13(6):2533-2539.

  19. Pieme CA, Kumar SG, Dongmo MS, et al. Antiproliferative activity and induction of apoptosis by Annona muricata (Annonaceae) extract on human cancer cells. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14(1):516.

  20. Holanda CM, Barbosa DA, Demeda VF, et al. Influence of Annona muricata (soursop) on biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals in rats. Acta Cir Bras. Mar 2014;29(3):145-150. 

  21. Awodele O, Ishola IO, Ikumawoyi VO, et al. Toxicological evaluation of the lyophilized fruit juice extract of Annona muricata Linn. (Annonaceae) in rodents. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. Dec 18 2013:1-11.

  22. Roman G. Tropical myeloneuropathies revisited. Curr Opin Neurol. Oct 1998;11(5):539-544.

  23. Chen Y, Chen JW, Zhai JH, et al. Antitumor activity and toxicity relationship of annonaceous acetogenins. Food Chem Toxicol. Aug 2013;58:394-400.

  24. Thang TD, Dai DN, Hoi TM, et al. Study on the volatile oil contents of Annona glabra L., Annona squamosa L., Annona muricata L. and Annona reticulata L., from Vietnam. Nat Prod Res. 2013;27(13):1232-1236.

  25. Sun S, Liu J, Kadouh H, et al. Three new anti-proliferative Annonaceous acetogenins with mono-tetrahydrofuran ring from graviola fruit (Annona muricata). Bioorg Med Chem Lett. Jun 15 2014;24(12):2773-2776.

  26. Nawwar M, Ayoub N, Hussein S, et al. A flavonol triglycoside and investigation of the antioxidant and cell stimulating activities of Annona muricata Linn. Arch Pharm Res. May 2012;35(5):761-767.

  27. Oberlies NH, Chang CJ, McLaughlin JL. Structure-activity relationships of diverse Annonaceous acetogenins against multidrug resistant human mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7/Adr) cells. J Med Chem. Jun 20 1997;40(13):2102-2106.

  28. George VC, Kumar DR, Rajkumar V, et al. Quantitative assessment of the relative antineoplastic potential of the n-butanolic leaf extract of Annona muricata Linn. in normal and immortalized human cell lines. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2012;13(2):699-704.

  29. Adeyemi DO, Komolafe OA, Adewole OS, et al. Anti hyperglycemic activities of Annona muricata (Linn). Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2008;6(1):62-69.

  30. Nwokocha CR, Owu DU, Gordon A, et al. Possible mechanisms of action of the hypotensive effect of Annona muricata (soursop) in normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats. Pharm Biol. Nov 2012;50(11):1436-1441.

  31. Clement YN, Mahase V, Jagroop A, et al. Herbal remedies and functional foods used by cancer patients attending specialty oncology clinics in Trinidad. BMC Complement Altern Med. Oct 21 2016;16(1):399.

  32. Rottscholl R, Haegele M, Jainsch B, et al. Chronic consumption of Annona muricata juice triggers and aggravates cerebral tau phosphorylation in wild-type and MAPT transgenic mice. J Neurochem. Nov 2016;139(4):624-639.

  33. Qazi AK, Siddiqui JA, Jahan R, et al. Emerging therapeutic potential of graviola and its constituents in cancers. Carcinogenesis. Apr 5 2018;39(4):522-533.

  34. Chan WJ, McLachlan AJ, Hanrahan JR, et al. The safety and tolerability of Annona muricata leaf extract: a systematic review. J Pharm Pharmacol. Jan 2020;72(1):1-16.

  35. K. C. Agu, N. Eluehike, R. O. Ofeimun et al., “Possible anti-diabetic potentials of Annona muricata (soursop): inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities,” Clinical Phytoscience, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 21–13, 2019.

  36. M. T. Nguyen, V. T. Nguyen, L. V. Minh et al., “Determination of the phytochemical screening, total polyphenols, flavonoids content, and antioxidant activity of soursop leaves (Annona muricata Linn,” IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 736, no. 6, Article ID 062011, 2020.

  37. M. Reshi, R. K. Kaul, A. Bhat, and P. Kaur, “The role of antioxidants in human health,” International Journal of Medical Sciences, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 14–22, 2012.

  38. N. N. Meza-Gutiérrez, P. Magallón-Servín, R. Balois-Morales et al., “Growth promoting activity of Annona muricata L. Leaf extracts on Lactobacillus casei,” Plants, vol. 11, no. 5, p. 581, 2022.

  39. A. Nayak and K. Hegde, “A comprehensive review on the miracle nature of Annona muricata Linn,” RGUHS Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 11, no. 1, 2021.

  40. H. Alatas, M. Sja’bani, M. Mustofa et al., “The effects of soursop supplementation on blood pressure, serum uric acid, and kidney function in a prehypertensive population in accordance with the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline,” Journal of Human Hypertension, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 223–232, 2020.

  41. L. Indrawati, S. Pramono, P. Ascobat, B. Bela, M. Abdullah, and I. S. Surono, “Cytotoxic activity of soursop “Annona muricata” leaves extracts and their phytochemical contents,” Journal of Global Pharma Technology, vol. 2, no. 9, pp. 35–40, 2017.

  42. G. Berumen-Varela, Y. A. Palomino-Hermosillo, P. U. Bautista-Rosales, G. R. Peña-Sandoval, G. G. López-Gúzman, and R. Balois-Morales, “Identification of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR in different developmental stages and under refrigeration conditions in soursop fruits (Annona muricata L.),” ScientiaHorticulturae, vol. 260, Article ID 108893, 2020.

  43. D. Daddiouaissa, A. Amid, N. A. Kabbashi, F. A. Fuad, A. M. Elnour, and M. A. S. Epandy, “Antiproliferative activity of ionic liquid-graviola fruit extract against human breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines using flow cytometry techniques,” Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 236, pp. 466–473, 2019.

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